The NAD 116 Pre-amp($799.00 US) Is probably the best buy in an audiophile quality pre-great balance in sound quality from bottom to top, no harshness or graininess like some others. It's Moving coil phono section is easily worth half it's price, plus it;s got a full function remote, to boot.

I've owned the 116 for a little over a year. For the money, its pretty hard to beat, and I didn't pay anywhere near $799 for it. Its available mail order at discount.
To my ears, its a very nuetral pre-amp, lending little or no color to the music I listen to, to the extent that it can expose weaknesses elsewhere in a system. There are no bells and whistles. Just quality components and a the necessary feature set.

Subjectively, I replaced a NAD Dolby Pro Logic pre-amp and was MUCH happier with the sound. I've swapped in various Rotel and ADCOM units and still prefer the 116.

The addition of a good phono stage is a boon for anyone into LP's on a budget. I haven't used it yet so I must reserve comment in terms of sound quality. I've 'heard" from others thats its quite nice.

Of course, any system is a synergy, and mine is as follows:

NAD 214 amp (next piece to be replaced...)
NAD 514 CD (very happy with this unit)
B&W 601 speakers (bi-wired)
Straightwire Chorus speaker cable

I'm sure there is better sound to be had if the finances permit, but for this price point you might be hard pressed to beat it.

It's really about 4.5 price/performance, but I'm rounding up. Someone else can do us a civic duty and round down next time :-)

Highly recommended. Enjoy.

Very good sounding. Excellent bass. Nice finish. Very good signal/noise ratio.

Complex, ugly remote.

I sold my previous pre-amplifier (Rotel rc-972) and bought this at same price. The difference in sound _is_ clear. Nad 116 has excellent signal/noise ratio. Different sound sources do NOT sound thru even if volume is at max. Rotel didn't perform so well with this one.

Nad also delivers great, deep bass. I myself find it an excellent for computer based music.
With natural music Nad performs very well too. Stereo image is good also(but not so clear as rotel rc-972).

Only drawback in NAD 116 is the remote. It looks ugly, and isn't very good in use either.

NAD 116 is a great product.

My system:
Nad 116 pre-amplifier
Rotel rb-981 power-amplifier
JVC XL-F216 CD-player
Pioneer F-204RDS Tuner
Or 260Hi Speakers

Similar Products Used:

Rotel rc-972

I was surprised with how good the NAD 116 sounds. It has virtually no coloration, and for the money is superb. I use a Thorens TD115 turntable with a Shure V-15 type V and I like what I hear. THe phono has little background noise. On CDs I am having to watch the volume level since this preamplifier has quite a bit of output current capability and the dynamics of the CD come through with all the punch that was recorded on it. THere are no tone controls, but as good as it sounds I don't miss them at all. A definite A+ on sound.

Clean and musical sound

Headphone hum, no tone controls

I tried a "factory reconditioned" NAD 116. It sounded beautiful through my speakers. There wasn't a trace of audible noise. The phono stage came off as a bit bright to me, but that may be because my prior one wasn't great. Also, I barely broke it in. The separation of the phono stage impressed me.

At maximum volume, there was a touch of tuner bleed-through, but that would never be noticed when actually listening to music. Unfortunately, the right headphone channel had a weak but annoying hum. I unplugged everything but the power cord and headphones, and the hum persisted. I often listen to classical music with headphones, so this was a real disappointment. While I was tempted to open the box up and reroute wires as suggested elsewhere, I didn't for fear of voiding the warranty. So it went back to the good dealer for a refund. Too bad, because aside from the headphone defect it sounded delightful.

Similar Products Used:

Rotel

VERY neutral sound and quiet phono section, balanced XLR outputs for professional applications

questionable IR remote control

After having listened to other preamps I have to say I am very impressed with NAD's 116 preamplifier. The sound is very clean and neutral with authority in the bass. This is definitely worth having regardless of price. Sure it lacks tone controls, but I think it's a small price to pay for the sound quality this preamp delivers. The only flaw I found was the remote did not always work well, but remotes are just a convenience anyway. Other than that, it's a winner.

For the same price, having listened to several, you won't beat the British ARCAM Alpha9c preamp. Anyone considering this NAD should strive to compare with the Arcam. Arcam's are upgradeable as well. Soundstaging, clean base and top-octave smoothness are the most notable pros of the Alpha9c when comparing the NAD 116.
Two former NAD components gave me trouble in the 6-8 year time frame - 7140 receiver, 5120 turntable (yes, they made one). Memory presets stopped holding the tuners presets. The circuit board coatings cracked up. Scratchiness in the volume knob wouldn't go away after professional cleanings. The digital tuner never dialed in on the signal as indicated by LED 'arrows.' The turntables tonearm was too delicate; I would either acidentally scratch vinyl (potential speaker or amp damage) or just about break it off from the slightest mishandling.

I liked NADs value for the dollar and musicality/dynamic range/headroom, but when the price approaches a component in the next class, it's not a tough decision for me.

input/output terminals are all gold-plated to ensure good contact, very precise motorized volume control via remote and choice of MM or MC cartridge

lack of any tone control and "switched socket" that allows the amp to be turned on when the 116 is powered on.

First of all, I need to point out the listed MSRP of the NAD 116 given in the product description section is way off. The actual MSRP is $799. I agree with most of my fellow reviewers that this is probably one of the best sounding preamp for under $1000. The controls via the remote are sure-footed and the phonal output is exceptionally clear. Indeed, all music sources come across as very neutral, as a high quality preamp is aupposed to do. Until three weeks ago, the NAD 116 was part of my main stereo system, mated to the NAD 218 THX and my Definitive Tech BP20 (the original bipolars that brought DT to fame). It is now idled since I want my main system to have a digital preamp in order to contour sound in the digital domain and be prepared to deal with digital FM broadcast and CD recording. I will probably mate the NAD 116 to another quality power amp, as this preamp is too good to remain idle.

Similar Products Used:

Carver CT-3, NAD 118 (part of my main system), Harman Kardon HK825