Pre/Power Amplifiers

Nagra’s first line/phono preamplifier was the battery-powered PL-P [HFN Apr ’98], tested exclusively by your favourite hi-fi magazine nearly 30 years ago. Leveraging the build quality and styling of the manufacturer’s iconic IV-S tape recorder, the PL-P sold for £7450 at launch, and combined tube-based phono and line stages with a separate headphone amplifier serviced by a front-panel 6.35mm socket.

Other connections were side-facing – 3x line-level and 1x phono input on the left; 2x line-out, tape loop and a LEMO connection for an external battery charging unit on the right. Adjacent to the preamplifier’s Modulometer display were separate left/right input level rotaries, allowing for fine-tuning of balance, but MC loading and MM capacitance (plus pre/post-1978 RIAA EQ) were set with the use of jumpers and internal pins. Inside the PL-P were also timers to monitor usage of its five ECC81 and three ECC83 valves, with replacement suggested after 5000 hours.