M8sPRE - Overview

"Musical Fidelity are on to a winning formula with the M8sPre and M8s500s. Its no-nonsense exterior belies a very capable amplifier under the skin with the clarity, grip, and, control to challenge many a more expensive amplifier in fancier clothing."

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A British Audiophile 03/2023

"I often felt like I had taken another step closer to the music and I could hear just a little more of what was happening in the recording."

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Part-Time Audiophile 06/2023

"The symmetrical connection ensures an even more harmonious sound"

Stefan Schickedanz, Johannes Maier - AUDIO 05/13

"Excellent!"

Alex Röser, Stefan Goedecke - AUDIO Test 04/19

"Great attention to detail!“

Ashley Cox - Audio Appraisal 03/20

"This sound has „something“, sometimes even magnetizing. The M8 combo sounded more direct, dynamic, free and clean. A mature, stable and versatile sound with a unique satuveibility that gives music not only a seriousness, but primarily naturalness.“

Editors - Audio.pl.com 03/23

The M8s is a pre-amplifier without limits. From its performance to its connectivity, via quality fit and finish, the M8s makes a superlative centrepiece for almost any system.

The M8s has a wide array of inputs including a low noise MM/MC phono stage, 2 balanced inputs (1 with home theatre bypass option), 3 line inputs (one with home theatre bypass option) and a fully configured tape in/out loop.

The M8s Pre-amp has very high input overload margins. This means that it has a completely stress free sound. The outputs are very low impedance and high current so that it can drive virtually any power amp in existence through any length cable (balanced or single ended).

Technical measurements are testament to the M8s’s exceptional engineering: from ultra-low distortion to virtually perfect frequency response, and ultra low noise.

The M8s’s will drive any power amplifier over any length of cable. Although, obviously, it’s perfect partner is a pair of M8s-700m monobloc amplifiers.

Listening to the M8s Pre with the M8s-700m monobloc is quite an experience. The music is reproduced with no stress, no colouration and sense of relaxation and transparency that are music to the ears and balm to the soul.

M8s Pre-amplifier In Brief

• Genuinely fully balanced preamp
• Eight versatile inputs – 1 XLR Balanced, switchable MM/MC Phono, CD, Tuner, Aux 1, Aux 2, Tape
• Single ended and balanced outputs as well as a fixed output for tape record
• Home theatre bypass available in both single ended and balanced inputs
• Outstanding cutting edge performance
• Amazing load driving ability, will easily drive any power amplifier with any cable of almost any length
• Excellent design, he-man build quality

Design + Build

The first exceptional element of the M8s pre-amplifier is its truly fully balanced design. Most rival pre-amps making similar claims are actually single-ended models with a balanced input and output; this is not the same as being fully balanced throughout, which the M8s offers.

The quality continues with the M8s pre-amplifier's pure Class A circuitry, implemented in subtle and refined configurations.
The M8s is designed with very high input overload margins. High input impedance plus low output impedance puts the M8s in the position of itself being easy to drive, while having the capability to drive any power amp.

Let's run through those input options in more detail. The phono stage is a low-noise MM/MC design, with very accurate RIAA, low distortion and wide overload margin – all making the M8s a great turntable partner.

Two fully balanced inputs, three line-level inputs and a fully configured tape loop (input and output) provide plenty of flexibility for further sources, both traditional and modern.

Home theatre bypass options are available on one set of both balanced and line-level inputs, making it easy to integrate the M8s into a one-stop music and movie system.

The M8s's high-tech design translates into an exceptional performance that can be scientifically measured. Technical analysis shows the M8s has miniscule distortion levels  (less than 0.003%), extremely low noise (-117dbA), wide bandwidth (-3dB 75kHz) and remarkable frequency response – ruler-flat within the audio band. Stereo separation is 96dB at 1KHz.

Finally, the M8s pre-amp also features an exceptional power supply. Each channel has a 350VA, silent-drive mains transformer, with each stage of each channel featuring its own regulation circuitry for optimised performance and isolation. Current delivery is maximised due to the power supply's ultra-low impedance design.

Further Reading

Read The M8 Story

Reviews

Read the Audio Test review.

Also read the Audio Appraisal review.