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Editors’ Choice: Best Preamplifiers with DACs Under $2,000

Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital

Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital

$399

The Pre Box S2 Digital offers audiophiles a very high-value DAC/digital preamp at an almost ridiculously low price. Not only does it include a plethora of important features and capabilities; it also sounds good, has an elegantly designed control surface, and is expandable. As an audiophile’s needs grow, Pro-Ject micro-systems have the components to support nearly every potential input source and format available through various accessory units designed to perform specific functions. While not quite bespoke audio, the Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 is one small part of an elegant system that gives even audiophiles with limited means a way to assemble a first-class system. One of TAS’ 2018 DACs of the Year. SS, 289

Read the full review: Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital DAC/Preamplifier
NAD C 658

NAD C 658

$1999

NAD’s C 658 offers many features and functions in an affordable and good-sounding package. This streaming DAC, operated via the BluOS app or remote control, has a phonostage, analog inputs, subwoofer outputs with configurable crossover, full analog and digital preamplifier functions, and Dirac Live DSP room correction. This last feature can greatly improve the sound, particularly in problematic listening rooms. The C 658’s sound is excellent, with tuneful bass and a spacious soundstage. RH, 313

Read the full review: NAD C658 Streaming DAC and C298 Power Amplifier
NAD C 389

NAD C 389

$1999

This “Swiss army knife” packs a streamer, DAC, mm phono preamp, control preamp, power amp, headphone amp, and Dirac room correction into a compact package at a very reasonable price. Just add speakers to this “amplifier,” and you have all you need for a complete stereo system. It also has HDMI eARC, meaning that your stereo can provide the sound for TV and movies. The amp offers 130Wpc into 4 or 8 ohms, so many users will have adequate power. The amp is built around Hypex UcD modules, the brainchild of Class D master-designer Bruno Putzeys. BluOS supports all the major streaming services, but especially Qobuz and Tidal which offer real hi-res recordings. The big thing here is the Dirac room correction. Your room is always a source of distortions, and Dirac does very-high-level math corrections to address these in the bass region, though for another $100 you can get full-frequency correction. Doing room correction is very hard, but we found that Dirac generally succeeds, especially if you have a difficult room that doesn’t have extensive passive acoustic treatment. We found that the amp itself sounded clear and powerful. Of course, at higher price points you can get higher performance or different performance, but we think the C 389 is a great place to start, and you might find it is all you ever need. TAS YouTube

Read the full review:
nad c 389

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