M6s PRE – Overview
The M6s PRE is effectively a preamp without limits. Its wide range of inputs, coupled with superlative performance, mean it can form the heart of almost any system, regardless of price.
It’s a pure Class A design capable of driving any power amplifier, over any length of cable. It itself is easy to feed, making it even more flexible.
The M6s PRE has an array of inputs suited to both traditional and modern music sources. It has an MM/MC phono stage, two balanced inputs, three line-level connections, a fully configured tape in/out loop and a digital USB socket.
There are home theatre bypass options on both balanced and line-level inputs.
Performance is stunning. The M6s PRE sounds sweet, clear and fast, with tight, extended bass. No wonder that in his Hi-Fi+ review of the M6s range, Alan Sircom praised the M6s PRE for being “both excellent and excellent value for money.”
Design & Build
Like all its M6s siblings, the M6s PRE is beautifully built. The front panel is a custom extrusion, featuring knobs and buttons machined from military-spec aluminium. Even the badge is made from medical-grade stainless steel.
The M6s PRE is designed to offer exceptional input flexibility and quality. For example, its phono stage is an MM/MC implementation with low noise, very accurate RIAA, low distortion and wide overload margin. Hi-Fi Choice praised its performance as “clean, natural and quiet”.
The pre-amp can fit seamlessly into both music and movie systems, thanks to the home theatre bypass option on one each of its balanced and line-level inputs.
Its digital USB input brings computer-based music into play, too.
The M6s PRE is a fully balanced design, from its input to output sockets – unlike some rival ‘balanced’ models that feature a single-ended preamp between their balanced connections.
Its technical performance is stunning. It has very low distortion, wide bandwidth, low noise and low output impedance, plus a large input overload margin. This effectively means the M6s PRE can’t be overloaded, and it can drive any power amp with optimal neutrality.
It uses state-of-the-art, pure Class A circuitry, which enables a fast, sweet and clear delivery, with taut, extended bass performance. Quite simply, the M6s PRE gives your music the space to be heard at its best.
