NAD Electronics LTD Monitor Series Preamp 1600 A preamplifier/tuner is essentially a stereo receiver without a power-amplifier section. While such a component is smaller and lighter than a receiver, its principal advantage is the ability to drive any outboard power amplifier. High-power receivers, rated for 125 watts per channel or more, are very heavy and bulky, and they tend to run hot. With a preamp/tuner, you can use the most powerful amplifier you can afford, or even separate amplifiers for each channel—located out of sight if you prefer—while retaining the full control flexibility of a receiver in an attractive and compact unit. Also, upgrading the system at any time to a more powerful or better-quality amplifier is easy.The NAD Monitor 1600 combines a high-quality AM/FM tuner and a preamplifier at a very moderate price. Although its specifications are excellent, our measurements showed that most of them are highly conservative.The NAD 1600 has the styling and appearance of the company’s other Monitor Series components, with a gray panel and cabinet, black knobs and pushbuttons, and clearly legible white markings. A long, narrow black window across most of the front panel contains a number of pushbutton controls along with the display.Most of the buttons in the window are tuner-preset selectors. The tuner has memories for fourteen stations, in two banks of seven. Each memory can be assigned to either an am or an fm channel; a button toggles between the two banks, and a light indicates the selection. Other buttons select AM or FM, mono operation (effective with any program source), and FM BLEND, which reduces noise in stereo fm reception by partially mixing the two channels. Unlike most other such circuits, the NAD blend circuit affects the entire audio frequency range instead of just the high frequencies.The luminous display contains large station-frequency numerals, center-tuning indicators, a bar-segment signal-strength indicator, and a signal light that shows when a command is received from the infrared remote control. Unlike many receivers, the Monitor 1600 illuminates its tuner-frequency display only when the tuner is selected as the program source.The tuning controls are two buttons to the right of the window. The search button below them selects either manual tuning (in steps of 50 kHz for fm and 10 kHz for am) or a continuous scan until a station is received.The other controls form a row across the bottom of the panel. The volume knob, at the lower right, is operated by a small motor when the remote control is used. The balance control and the bass and treble tone controls are center-detented. A tone defeat button between the tone controls bypasses their circuits.The program selectors are momentary-contact buttons. The available inputs are CD, video, phono, tape 1, and tape 2. A LOW level button next to the input selectors reduces the volume by 20 dB.Two tape decks connected to the NAD 1600 can be cross-connected by a front-panel lever switch for dubbing from either deck to the other, and the tape-input selectors permit monitoring from either deck during dubbing. The EPL (external-processor loop) button at the lower left of the panel inserts a signal processor (or a third tape deck) into the signal path. Two nearby buttons activate the bass EQ circuit (a low-frequency boost affecting signals below 60 Hz) and a loudness-compensation circuit. Lights above the display window show when the EPL circuit has been selected and when a stereo FM broadcast is being received. The front panel also contains a power button and a headphone jack.The supplied remote control is designed as a system control for other NAD components, including a cassette deck and a CD player. Many of the keys on the remote unit serve different (but analogous) functions depending on which source is selected. For example, the numbered buttons can select either preset stations, tracks on a CD, or recorded segments on a tape.The rear apron of the NAD 1600 contains input and output jacks for all of the signal sources as well as the pre-out jacks that connect to a power amplifier. The phono-input jacks are gold-plated, and a small switch below them sets the preamplifier gain for a moving-magnet (MM) or moving-coil (MC) cartridge. Another switch activates an infrasonic filter that operates with all inputs, although it is likely to be required only when playing records.There are two AC outlets on the rear apron, one of them switched, as well as a coaxial connector for a 75-ohm FM antenna feeder and spring connectors for a long-wire AM antenna and ground. Unlike most tuners, the NAD 1600 does not come with a loop antenna for am reception. Global Shipping Program If you are purchasing multiple items that will total over 70 lbs. you will need to separate out the transactions as we cannot separate shipments that go through the eBay Global Shipping Program. If multiple items are purchased at one time and the package is over the weight limit, we will contact you to cancel the order and refund your purchase. Free Returns We have free returns on domestic shipments for 30 days! Please contact us if there are any issues with your purchase. 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