Looking for preamp to go with my NAD 2400

Hello Bob,
I completed a Bottlehead Foreplay III about a month ago and run it with a Perreaux power amp. It is a HUGE improvement over the Perreaux 2A Class 1 pre-amp that I was using. It is not perfect for low output moving magnet cartridge (Grado .5 mv) because you have to turn the gain up really high and use a phono stage, but for a higher output device, like cd player or higher output turntable cartridge, it is really good. Also, it's a lot of fun to build. The instruction manual is very complete and the folks at Bottlehead are really easy to deal with.
Bob

I have a musical fidelity A3cr pre amp in great shape you can have for $675. It is a great preamp for the money and mates with a variety of amps. Would be a huge upgrade from your NAD 7140 as a pre.

That said, I have also owned Conrad Johnson's pv-10a. Also a great buy. Not as neutral or detailed as the MF, but very lush and especially sweet on vocals and acoustic guitar. If you need a phono, the version with a phono is quite good. Lack of remote may be an issue.

Remember, what sounds good to you is the right choice. Good luck.
Paul

I was using a 7140 as my preamp (mainly for the fine phono section) and switched to a Wright Sound WLA12A. After trying both a Dynaco PAS and a Foreplay, I still preferred the 7140. Going a slightly different direction, I fell in love with the 6SN7 sound of the Wright. More detail, lower noise floor, much deeper soundstage. Guitars are especially good now, with harmonics that just didn't appear with the others.

If you're going Mapletree, I'd recommend a 2A or, if you need phono, the 4A. Both use the 6/12SN7 and tube rectification, and should give you a major improvement.

David

Bob, what are the sources you are running in your system?

If you are not spinning vinyl, and have only one or two sources (CDP, tuner, etc.), you should try the NAD sans preamp. Simply use the level controls to adjust volume. I ran my NAD 2600A for over a decade this way. Despite the admonitions that "you NEED a preamp", each of the preamps I tried (NAD, ARC, AudioSource graphic equalizer, and some other non descript pre) only messed up the sound by introducing noise and distortion, while dulling the dynamics and taking oomph away from things.

And, after trying some highly regarded preamps in the past few years (Blue Circle, Joule, Granite, Musical Fidelity), I have reverted to once again running CD direct in my current system (Atma Sphere and Granite monos). Why? It just sounds so much better to me.