This is a very good preamp. Very transparent, dynamic, and natural sounding preamp. Equipments: MF A3CR preamp McIntosh MC122 power amp ARCAM CD72 MF X10D between CD player and preamp Transparent link 200 between X10D and preamp and preamp and power amp Van Den Hull D-102 III between CD player and X-10D

tube like sound with extended highs and lows, dynamics, deep soundstage, open, clear sound, screaming deal

phonostage- get a Lehmann Black Cube

This pre-amp is under-rated by Stereophile. They give it a Class B while the Adcom GFP-750 is a Class A. Wes Phillips, who originally reviewed the Adcom for Stereophile and still has the Adcom, likes the A3cr more than both his Adcom and his Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300 pre-amps. You can read about it at www.onhifi.com.

It is not that I am trying to sell A3cr's, I just like to see credit given where credit is due. The A3cr is truly an outstanding pre. In a system of equal quality it is capable of state of the art sound.

I run bi-wired Analysis Plus Oval 9's to Maggie 1.6's with DIY Hovland/Alpha-Core crossovers. My front end is a Lyra Helikon on a Morch DP-6 on a Linn LP-12/Cirkus/Origin Live DC motor/Heavyweight transformer with a Lehmann Black Cube.
I use both MF A3cr pre and power amps and everything is pluged into a PS Audio P600 with multi-wave. IC's are Analysis Plus copper ovals.

What a joy to listen to. The sound is simply stunning. On a good record it sounds like the performance is taking place in my living room.

I think that if you get the right parts and set them up correctly at home it will sound much better than most dealers.

Similar Products Used:

Bryston B-60R, Musical Fidelity A300

Transparent to the source

Visually obtrusive

My initial impression of this unit,is that of a very "quite"-transparent to the source unit.

Until now I was using the Meridian 518 as a volume control digital pre-amp. With this introduction, I switched to mode "1".

My impressions are that with the latter arrangement, the music is more "vital", yet very fluid, with excellent "colour"-not coloration. The depth is commendable, and the soundstage is believable.
I am waiting for my Sony SCD1, but until then (and perhaps afterwards), I am fully satisfied with my CD reproduction. Another observation I would like to make is that all the CDs ills that I read about in other reviews are totally absent in my system.

My present system gives me a lot ot of pleasure with no listening fatigue whatsoever. It is dynamic, fluid and exciting.

I would like to note that in the Sony SCD1 reviews, the reviewers are not mentioning whether they are using the "custom" or "normal" settings.

FYI:
Meridian 200
Meridian 518
Audio Synthesis Dax
Musical Fidelity A3 CR
Rotel RHB 10,
Dynaudio Contour 3.3,
Nordost and Ocos cables- and an excellent room

Similar Products Used:

Audio Synthesis Passion V, Meridian 518.

Some may want balance control

Best Pre-amp ever from MF, no real weakness. Very smooth
with clean extended highs and bass, detailed without sounding lean or hard like many SS designs.
Dual mono power with choke regulation produces large, deep soundstage. Sound emerges from silent black background, very musical, strikes good balance between detail and smoothness. Appearance and construction are excellent for
this price level, highly recommended. My System:

Musical Fidelity A3CD
MIT Digital Reference cable
Bel Canto Dac 1.1
Analysis Plus Copper Oval ICs
Musical Fidelity A3CR Preamp
Analysis Plus Copper Oval ICs
Musical Fidelity X-AS100 x 2 Bi-amped
Analysis Plus Oval 9 Speaker Cables x 2 Bi-wired
PSB Silver-i Speakers

Shunyata Powersnakes Sidewinder AC Cords all Components
TDS Passive Audiophile Enhancer

Similar Products Used:

Musical Fidelity X-P100

Huge soundfield, transparency, speed and very good phono stage, ultra quiet

None found yet

Very good preamp for the money. You will not be disappointed with its presentation. You'd have to spend 2 to 3 times this amount for this sound elsewhere.

Similar Products Used:

Conrad Johnson MF2, PAC pro-reference, PS Audio 4.5 thru 5.5
Adcom 565

Very Smooth; very good value for money

This is a very revealing, and natural sounding pre-amp, complimenting SACD extremely well. Just compare to other 'fancy' brands and you'll hear the difference.

Fantastic build quality, pin-sharp sound across the whole audio spectrum

Remote control is maybe a little plasticky.

I loved this preamp from the moment I saw it, it has such a commaning appearance. When I tried it in my system, it blew my other preamp (Rotel) away. The soundstage is so wide and it is balanced perfectly in the centre - a problem I've had with other preamps is incorrect balance. The preamp imparts no character onto the music at all, and listening is sheer pleasure. The sound is so crisp and encompassing. When listening to some of Dave Grusin's piano playing the sound was unreal - not unlike water tinkling down a waterfall.

The remote control lets the system down. It works from behind! the unit which is great, as my desk is behind it. When compared to the built quality of the preamp itself, the remote is cheap looking, and doesn't fit in the hand too well. Also, the markings are confusing (on the remote) but all in all, a splendid piece of equipment. Well done MF!

Similar Products Used:

Musical Fidelity Preamp 3B, Rotel RC972

commanding, involving, beautiful sounding.

Neutrality?? lacks "presence" of more expensive ARC LS8II

I have really fallen in love with this preamp. It resolves detail both musical and spacial very well. It contributes to excellent imaging, soundstaging,and transparency. Paired with the A3cr amp it has made beautiful music with CD's I had previously not been able to enjoy fully. Such as Phil Woods chesky recordings. Every thing I play through this combo sounds great! Everything from R&B to Jazz to Rock to Classical to Electronica. All this is through a $275 pair of KEF Cresta 2 and a $400 Rotel 945 CD player. I recently ordered a pair of Maggie 1.6s. My dealer allowed me to bring this combo in to plug into the 1.6 demos. They sounded great. After trying the ARC LS8II with the A3cr amp,I immediately realized it to be the better preamp for the maggie 1.6s for "you are there" sound. I have accepted the fact that I probably won't have the "best" combo for my new speakers. I have even thought about buying different speakers to better match this amp.(The maggies sounded a tad brighter with the A3 and symbols were not as forward...midrange not as lush and warm) After considering how much this A3 pre has attached itself to me, I have decided to keep it. If someone were to offer me the ARCLS16 (it has a remote) for somewhere close to what I paid for this A3. I could then probably part with it. But hopefully that won't happen for a while. I just keep telling myself that I wouldn't be sitting so close to the band :) It should be noted that the A3cr combo does somethings better than the ARC, such controlling the lows! Five stars due to the emotional attachment.

Similar Products Used:

ARC,Conradjohnson,rotel,adcom,krell,mark levinson, B&K

Sounds beautiful...

...but it's a beautiful *coloured* sound

I'm currently trialling three pre-amps - a Classe fire, an Audio Synthesis ProPassion and the MF AC3R.

I have Martin Logan Ascents and Monarchy Audio SE-100 delux (Class A) monoblocks, with a 1996 model Marantz CD-63se (due for upgrade :) Currently experimenting with unbalanced interconnects, various types in the 50 UKP/meter range.

Prior to using this, I had the passive unit plugged in, which of course made the sound almost identical to that of the Marantz - which I've listened to through headphones for some years and so am very familar with.

When I plugged the AC3R in, I had two reactions. The first was - "ahhh, this is *beautiful!*"

And then, two seconds later, realising the sound was totally *coloured*.

Basically, the output from the AC3R sounds great. And if you like that sound, or it works well with the other equipment you have, then it's what you want. It's a lovely unit, well built, nicely done - absolutely no flaws in it's production of sound that I could hear (aside from colouration).

But if you want to hear the sound of the CD player, or you want to hear what the CD really sounds like - well - this isn't what you want, no matter what other strengths it has.

I'm not buying this unit, because of the colouration issue.

Other points of note: RCA connections only, no XLR/other balanced. I paid 1000 UKP for this, but you should get a 10% discount just by asking.

Value rating, hmm. I think 900 quid is a fair price for the quality of sound this unit makes. Overall rating? well, it depends - it could be perfect for you, or it could be awful. I'll put down a 5 so people actually consider this unit when scanning the review scores, because its worthy of consideration.

Similar Products Used:

ProPassion, Classe fire

Unbelievably wide and encompassing soundstage. Crystal clear clarity. Great bass and mids. Totally non-fatiguing. Nice selection of inputs. Looks. Absolutely no grainyness on top end - has all the best qualities of tube and solid state combined. Built like a tank. Price.

Cheapo remote and power cord.

BUY THIS PRE-AMP NOW! Every second you wait will deprive you of the sonic goodness this baby gives. I've named mine "George" (don't ask) and while components may come and go, "George" stays. Period. End of story.

Quite frankly, I was skeptical. I had read tons of reviews on the A3 including those by Sam Tellig and Wes Phillips. I was so bummed about failing to find the holy grail of pre-amps that I figured I'd give the A3 a try. I called Kevin Deal at Upscale Audio and picked his brains. Kevin is a great guy and very knowledgeable. Kevin described the A3's sonic wonderments and I told him to wrap one up. This, without ever hearing one note out of the A3. Hey, I could always return it if I didn't like it. Right?

When "George" arrived, I plugged in all the interconnects and my Harmonic Techonology Pro AC-11 power cord - folks, you MUST use a good after-market power cord with the A3 to reap all the sonic benefits. Well, right out of the box, I was floored. I heard new details in tunes that I'd listened to thousands of times previously.

On Led Zepellin's "Houses of the Holy", you could feel John Bonham drumming like a wild beast. On "Who's Next", I could literally tell the brand of drumhead Keith Moon was pounding - Entwhistle's bass was astounding and full while I heard new, subtle rhythms from Townshend's guitar. Sheesh, I could literally feel his pick strumming. Diana Krall's "Let's Face the Music and Dance" revealed a bass clarinet that I didn't know was there and I could literally "feel" her breathing between phrases. CSN&Y's "Deja Vu" revealed the true brilliance of Neal Young's guitar playing. I could feel the spit of Miles Davis as he played on "So What" from "Kind of Blue." The angst and sorrow of Kurt Cobain was painfully yet gloriously heard on virtually every track from "Nevermind" and "In Utero." Finally, Greg Allman's "Laid Back" disc sounded better than I'd ever heard it - in fact I found myself toetapping and footstomping to several tunes.

And, THAT is probably the greatest thing about the MF A3 pre-amp. It draws you into the music and makes you a participant in the experience instead of merely a listener. You WANT to listen, nay you NEED to listen to the music as it's produced by this beauty. The A3 pre-amp has validated my theory that next to speakers, a pre-amp is the most critical component in the rig.

There was a great synergy between the A3 and my Rotel/B&W/Nakamichi equipment. The Nautilus 804s sang as never before and produced an amazing low end.

Folks, don't deprive yourself any longer. The A3 is THE BEST pre-amp I've ever heard. Its build quality is superb and you won't be able to tear yourself away from the music. It's THAT good! And, hey, isn't the music what it's all about?

My rig:

B&W Nautilus 804s
Musical Fidelity A3 CR pre-amp
Rotel RB-1080 power amp (200 wpc)
Rotel RCD-961 (CD player)
Nakamichi DR-8 (tape deck)
Rotel RLC-900 (line conditioner)
DH Labs Q-10 bi-wired speaker cable
DH Labs BL-1 interconnect (between CD and pre-amp)
Transparent Link 200 (between tape deck and pre-amp/pre-amp and power amp)
Harmonic Technology Pro AC-11 power cords

Similar Products Used:

Lamm L1, BAT VK5i, SF SFL-1, ARC LS3.