Musical Fidelity M8s PRE Fully Balanced Preamplifier

The Preamplifier You Stop Upgrading Past

Musical Fidelity built the M8s PRE as the top of its preamplifier line, and the weight tells you before the spec sheet does. Seventeen kilos, 440 by 162 by 400mm, in black or silver. This is a component you build a system around, not one you pass through.

The input roster runs to eight. Two balanced XLR pairs and five RCA line pairs cover a whole rack. One of each is set aside for home theater bypass, so a surround processor can borrow your main speakers. An MM/MC phono input takes a turntable. There is no outboard stage to buy.

Outputs match: a balanced XLR pre-out, an RCA pre-out, and a fixed RCA output for a recorder. Trigger in and out let the M8s PRE wake your power amplifiers with it.

Where the Weight Actually Goes

Two fully shielded 350VA toroidal transformers sit inside, one per channel. Those are bigger supplies than some power amplifiers carry. Musical Fidelity publishes signal-to-noise better than 118dB A-weighted. Distortion stays under 0.005% single-ended, and under 0.004% through the balanced outputs.

Volume runs through a quad laser-trimmed attenuator in 0.5dB steps. The two channels stay matched at low levels, where cheaper controls drift apart. Frequency response spans 5Hz to 100kHz within a decibel. The signal path is pure Class A. It stays balanced from the input sockets to the output sockets, not just at the jacks.

The phono stage is built in rather than bolted on. Gain switches between moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges. That saves the cost and the shelf space of a separate box. It also keeps one less interconnect in the chain.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Ashley Cox reviewed the M8sPRE for Audio Appraisal on December 5, 2019. His verdict was direct: "The M8sPRE is everything I wanted in a preamplifier," praising performance he called "audibly and measurably linear."

On build he found it "beautifully made," with "substantial connectors at the back" and "a unit of some considerable weight and bulk." The phono stage he called "impressively quiet" even with high-output cartridges.

One thing he wanted and did not get: "Perhaps the only nod too convenience I would like to have seen is a headphone amp" — his point being that an outboard one puts another volume control in the signal path.

Who Is This Preamplifier Best For?

• You have a rack full of sources — seven line inputs, two of them balanced, plus a phono input. Every component you own stays connected, instead of taking turns on one socket.
• You play records — the MM/MC phono stage is built in, with switchable gain. Whichever cartridge you fit is matched, and there is no outboard box to buy or find room for.
• Your power amps sit away from the rack — the Class A path is balanced end to end. It carries the signal a long way without collecting the hum a single-ended run would.
• You listen quietly at night — the attenuator moves in 0.5dB steps and stays channel-matched. The image does not slide to one side as you turn it down.
• You listen on headphones — the M8s PRE is built to feed power amplifiers. There is no headphone jack on it. Run the fixed RCA output into one of our headphone amplifiers and the same sources drive your cans at full quality.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run the balanced XLR pre-outputs to your power amplifier. Use the RCA pre-out instead if your amplifier is single-ended. Sources fill the five RCA line inputs and the two XLR pairs. A turntable goes straight into the phono input, ground wire and all.

Wire the trigger output to your power amps. The whole stack then comes up together. Set one XLR or RCA input to home theater bypass, and a processor shares your front speakers at its own level.

Pairs Well With

Building around the M8s PRE? Here are some great companions:

• Power Amplifier: Give those balanced outputs something worthy — see our Amplifiers.
• Turntable: The phono stage is already fitted — see our Turntables.
• Interconnects: Balanced XLR cables suit a long run — see our Interconnect Cables.
• Speakers: Finish a full-size system — see our Floorstanding Speakers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many inputs does it have?

Seven line inputs — two balanced XLR pairs and five RCA pairs — plus a dedicated MM/MC phono input, and a trigger input.

Does it have a built-in phono stage?

Yes. It takes moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges, with gain switchable between the two, so a turntable connects directly.

Can I use it with a home theater system?

Yes. One balanced input and one line input offer home theater bypass. That passes a processor's front channels through at fixed level, so your two-channel amps drive the main speakers.

What outputs does it have?

A balanced XLR pre-output, an RCA pre-output, a fixed-level RCA output for recording, and a trigger output to switch your power amplifiers.

What are the dimensions and weight?

440 by 162 by 400mm, and 17kg unpacked. Check your shelf depth and rating before it arrives. Leave room behind it for XLR plugs.

What finishes are available?

Black or silver, matching the rest of Musical Fidelity's M8 series.

See It in Action

A British Audiophile runs the M8s PRE with the matching M8s 500s power amplifiers:

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