The Nagra Classic Preamp is a high-end preamplifier combining Class A circuitry with advanced design for lifelike sound and seamless connectivity. Perfect for audiophile systems, it offers versatile input options and exceptional performance in New Zealand.
The Nagra Classic Preamp is a high-end preamplifier engineered to elevate your listening experience. Taking inspiration from the renowned Nagra JAZZ preamplifier and incorporating design elements from the HD DAC, it achieves exceptional musicality and performance. Perfectly suited to complement the Nagra Classic Amp and Classic DAC, this preamp is a core component for audiophiles demanding precision and clarity.
Superior Design and Innovation
The extended chassis of the Nagra Classic Preamp allows for greater internal power filtering, reducing noise and enhancing audio quality. Drawing on the design philosophy of the HD DAC, this preamp exemplifies the meticulous craftsmanship that defines the Nagra Classic range. Custom-made polypropylene capacitors ensure superior decoupling and interstage performance, delivering memorable audio fidelity.
Precision Electronics for Audiophiles
A wide frequency response and linear phase accuracy are achieved through high-quality bespoke components. Independent ultra-low-noise power supplies for each channel enhance soundstage realism and depth. The integrated headphone amplifier circuit, derived from the Nagra HD DAC, guarantees uncompromised performance across all listening modes.
Versatile Connectivity and Power Options
The Nagra Classic Preamp offers flexible input and output configurations, featuring 1 XLR and 4 RCA inputs, alongside 2 XLR and 1 RCA outputs for dual power amp setups. A true bypass XLR connector ensures seamless integration with home cinema systems. For those seeking further refinements, optional hand-wound input and output transformers create a fully symmetrical floating signal, enhancing audio performance.
Onboard power supply integration ensures easy mains connection, while compatibility with Nagra’s Classic PSU power supply offers additional performance enhancements for the ultimate audiophile experience.
User-Focused Operation
Designed for simplicity and ease, the Nagra Classic Preamp features a front-panel LCD screen for custom input naming and settings adjustments. The iconic Nagra modulometer provides precise output level monitoring, and the switchable gain control allows optimal performance with any source.
Conclusion: Elevate Your Listening Experience
The Nagra Classic Preamp redefines the standard for high-end preamplifiers with its innovative design, bespoke components, and versatile features. Whether as part of a dedicated Nagra system or alongside other audiophile equipment, it promises extraordinary precision and musicality. Demonstrations are now available in New Zealand at our location on the Kapiti Coast—experience the difference for yourself.
Additional information
Weight
4.9 kg
Dimensions
35 × 27.7 × 11 cm
Finish
Silver
Frequency Response
10 Hz – 50 kHz (+0 / -0.5 dB)
Dynamic Range
>125 dB (Gain at +12 dB)
Minimum input level to reach 0 dB (meter)
0.28 V rms (Gain at +12 dB)
Maximum input level to reach 0 dB (meter)
>25 V rms (Gain at 0 dB)
Crosstalk
>85 dB
Total harmonic distortion (THD)
<0.01% at 1 kHz out, no load
Input Impedance
50 KΩ
Output Impedance
High mode: 24Ω / Low mode: 6Ω
Vacuum tubes (selected by Nagra Laboratory)
2x 12AX7 / ECC83
1x 12AT7 / ECC81
Power Consumption
12 V 1040 mA
< 1o mW in standby
Power Supply
115 V or 230 V AC input
Input Connection
XLR/RCA 1 to 4
Output Connection
2 x XLR
1 x RCA
Dimensions
350 (390 from nose of the modulometer to back of the connectors) x 277 x 80mm (15.4 x 10.9 x 3.2 inches) – Add 3cm or 1.2 inches with a VFS plate placed under
Nagra Audio
Nagra Audio, a Swiss-based manufacturer, is renowned for producing some of the most finely crafted high-end audio components in the world. With over 70 years of experience, Nagra has made its mark in both the professional recording industry and the high-fidelity consumer audio market, offering a range of products that are synonymous with precision, musicality, and craftsmanship.
Their HD Series, which includes the HD DAC X, HD AMP, and HD PHONO, represents the pinnacle of Nagra’s technological innovation. The HD DAC X is celebrated for its ability to handle high-resolution digital formats like PCM and DSD256, producing a remarkably analog-like sound that is both smooth and detailed. The HD PHONO preamplifier, with its dual-mono Class A tube design and advanced custom transformers, has become a benchmark for vinyl enthusiasts, offering warmth, detail, and clarity in analog playback. Both products benefit from Nagra’s meticulous approach to reducing noise and interference, with separate, supercapacitor-based power supplies ensuring clean and precise signals.
Complementing this high-end analog setup is the Nagra Reference Turntable, one of the most advanced turntables available today. The Nagra Reference Turntable features a dual-motor belt-drive system, a finely tuned suspension system, and a precision-engineered platter, all designed to ensure stable, vibration-free playback. Paired with the Nagra HD PHONO and the Nagra Reference MC Cartridge, this system is capable of extracting every nuance from vinyl records, making it a top choice for audiophiles who value the ultimate in analog sound reproduction.
For audiophiles seeking cutting-edge performance in a more accessible format, the Classic Series offers products like the Classic DAC II and Classic AMP, which maintain Nagra’s signature transparent and dynamic sound but in a more compact and approachable package.
Recently, Nagra has expanded into the digital realm with the Nagra Streamer, designed to integrate seamlessly with their DACs and amplifiers. This allows users to stream from services like Tidal, Spotify, and Qobuz, without compromising the legendary Nagra sound quality.
Nagra’s extensive lineup, from the Reference Turntable and analog components to cutting-edge digital solutions, maintains its status as a top-tier brand in the world of high-end audio, delivering Swiss precision, impeccable sound quality, and innovative design.
Reviews
Steve Huff – Nagra Classic HiFi System Review (February, 2022)
“They have a beauty about them in the flesh. They harken back to a bygone era in the way they used to make things. Dials, knobs, lights, metal, amazing looks and meters. Quality through and through. You may have heard the term “They don’t make ’em like they used to”. Well, at Nagra, they do.”
Jeff Dorgay – TONE the concierge of high end audio (2020)
“It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Nagra products. I can’t hide that from you and keep a straight face. But the admiration is for a good reason – they make fantastic products. Having been to their factory several times now, the team at Nagra is a group dedicated to excellence in every aspect, from design through final build. And their heritage is second to none.”
“Well beyond specs, listening pleasure and pride of ownership in obvious hifi jewelry, long-term support and first-rate customer service are additional potent features of the Classic Preamp not to be undervalued. On those counts too, we might call this conservative Swiss investment a very sure thing…”
“Nagra is a Swiss company that has a well-established reputation as a leading manufacturer of professional recording equipment. They were founded about 60 years ago, but it wasn’t until 1997 that they also started making high-end audio equipment for home use. I was already afflicted with the audiophile bug back when Nagra introduced their first components for the high-end market, and it was then that I knew that I wanted to own one, or, at the very least hear one. I finally have a Nagra component in my system, their very attractive looking Class A vacuum-tube powered Classic Preamp.”
Nagra Classic Preamp/Classic AMP – What Hi-Fi? (June, 2018)
“For us, the Nagra’s impressively broad spread of talents wins out. Once in full flow it leaves the music to take center stage and does its work quietly from behind the curtain.”
