Предусилители — Master Fidelity Nadac L

The NADAC L is a fully balanced line preamplifier from Master Fidelity, the Vancouver company founded in 2015, and it is designed as the companion to the NADAC D converter and the NADAC C clock. Its Japanese launch through the distributor Electri was announced on 14 July 2026 at JPY 4,840,000 including tax, and it sells for about USD 32,294 or EUR 27,225 elsewhere.

Key specs that matter

The unit has four XLR and two RCA inputs, of which one is selected at a time, and three XLR and one RCA outputs with independent control. Volume runs from 0 dB to -60 dB in 60 steps of 1 dB, with channel imbalance below 0.1 dB, so the preamplifier adds no gain. Input impedance is 500 kOhm, and output impedance is 200 ohm balanced and 100 ohm single-ended. Maximum input is 12 V RMS balanced and 6 V RMS single-ended. THD+N is 0.00012% at -3 dB, 0.0002% at -20 dB and 0.0008% at -40 dB. Signal to noise ratio is 130 to 142 dB A-weighted depending on the setting, frequency response is 10 Hz to 200 kHz within 0.08 dB and channel separation is 130 dB or better from 10 Hz to 20 kHz. Consumption is 12 W typical and 16 W at most.

Engineering and use context

Volume is set by a custom CMOS ASIC with JFET-like behaviour, co-developed with a semiconductor partner, which continues the custom-chip approach of the NADAC D. The circuit is true dual mono, with the left and right channels isolated from the power supply through to the signal path. The XLR path is fully differential, and the RCA outputs have their own single-ended circuit instead of being derived from one leg of the balanced signal. Full galvanic isolation separates the analogue circuit from the control section, so noise from the microcontroller does not reach the audio. The toroidal transformer is custom-made and hand-selected, with one roll of core material yielding about ten units, and multi-stage linear regulators follow it. The resistors in the signal path are 2 ppm types, which barely change value with temperature. Front-panel peak meters in an analogue style read with an accuracy of 0.05 dB. The very high input impedance places almost no load on the source, while its low source impedance copes with long cable runs. Master Fidelity has not published dimensions, weight or finishes.

Pairing

The NADAC D connects through XLR, and the three balanced outputs can serve a stereo amplifier, two monoblocks and a subwoofer simultaneously.

Alternatives

Master Fidelity makes no other preamplifier, as the attenuator of the NADAC D belongs to a DAC.