CES 2018 • Hot Product

It's no exaggeration to say that Nagra's new HD preamp ($59,500) is radical in design. It uses a new and totally different way to control volume: shielded toroidal audio transformers whose voltage ratio is variable and digitally controlled, the variation achieved via switching the multiple windings of the transformers. A triode input stage utilizing NOS tubes takes care of current amplification. The HD's outboard power supply electrically isolates the control unit via a unique virtual battery technology built around "super caps" that provide "superior results compared to a conventional battery without the inconvenience of dealing with charging time and battery life." The HD's four feet mechanically separate and isolate the audio chassis from the power supply via custom-made composite spacers fashioned from aluminum and a phenolic material that, according to Nagra, is "totally free of resonances."

All of these innovative strategies are more than theoretical ideals; they are said to provide real sonic and measurable advantages. In the press materials for the HD, Nagra included plots for bandwidth, phase and noise that showed the preamp reaching "uncharted territories."