Swiss audio company Nagra has launched something new and a little different. The Preamp II-S is the first model in its brand-new Series II lineup, designed to offer much of the performance found in Nagra’s top-tier gear but in a more compact and flexible form.

With a price of £21,998 with the power supply (or £18,348 without it), the Preamp II-S is aimed at serious listeners who want high-end quality without necessarily going all-in on the brand’s HD or Reference ranges. And while the price tag still puts it in premium territory, the engineering here is clearly drawn from Nagra’s flagship DNA.

Series II sits right in the middle of Nagra’s lineup, above the Compact series but just below the HD and Reference products. It’s a new category that brings down some of the best features from Nagra’s higher-end gear while keeping the size (and in some cases, the price) more manageable.

The Preamp II-S is the first product in this new series, and it sets the tone for what to expect: modern technology, thoughtful design, and some very deliberate nods to Nagra’s professional audio heritage.

On the outside, the Preamp II-S looks like a piece of classic Nagra gear, because that’s exactly the point. It brings back the brand’s iconic Modulometer, a mechanical level meter inspired by Nagra’s 1970s IV-S reel-to-reel recorders. It’s not just a retro touch; it gives real-time feedback on left and right channel levels and helps tie this new model to the brand’s legacy in pro audio.

Next to it, you’ll find a high-contrast OLED screen that displays system information clearly, even from across the room. You can flip between inputs using a satisfyingly smooth aluminum rotary knob, something Nagra fans will recognize from the PL-P and Classic Preamp models.

At the heart of the Preamp II-S is a new generation of vacuum tubes, the same ones used in Nagra’s Classic Phono, HD, and Reference gear. These tubes were chosen for their ability to reveal subtle details in music while keeping the noise floor low and the dynamics expressive.

But Nagra didn’t stop at just updating the electronics. The chassis itself has been carefully constructed with a phenolic damping layer tucked underneath the aluminum top cover. That may sound technical, but the idea is simple: reduce vibration and resonance to keep the sound clean and stable, no matter the environment.

The Preamp II-S has a solid range of inputs and outputs to suit high-end systems. You’ll find:

• Four line-level RCA inputs
• Two pairs of outputs (one set of XLRs and one set of RCAs)
• Two gain settings, selectable right from the front panel

The gain toggle gives you the choice between 0dB (for typical setups) and +6dB (if you need a bit more oomph). At 0dB, the preamp behaves almost like a passive unit, keeping output impedance low at 9 ohms and ensuring that it plays nicely with just about any amplifier you pair it with.

In typical Nagra fashion, the power supply lives outside the main chassis. This design helps reduce the chance of electrical interference affecting the audio signal. The Preamp II-S ships with the Nagra Compact PSU, which delivers clean, stable power via a high-quality LEMO connector.

Already own a Nagra power supply like the MPS or Classic PSU? You can buy the Preamp II-S without the Compact PSU and use your existing unit instead, saving money and avoiding redundancy in your setup.

One of the standout specs is the 125dB dynamic range, which puts the Preamp II-S in a class with other high-resolution audio gear. In plain terms, that means less background noise and more space for the music to breathe. Whether you're into jazz, orchestral recordings, or modern electronic productions, this preamp is built to reveal what’s really in your recordings without adding coloration.

If you’re unfamiliar with the brand, Nagra has quite the resume. It started back in 1951, making portable tape recorders used in everything from film production to NASA missions. The company’s products were used by journalists, filmmakers, and intelligence agencies, and have even won technical Oscars and Emmys.

Nagra didn’t jump into the home Hi-Fi space until the late 1990s, but when it did, it brought decades of pro-audio expertise along for the ride. The PL-P, launched in 1998, was its first serious domestic preamp. Since then, Nagra has built a reputation for gear that’s both technically accomplished and built to last.

Today, Nagra home audio products are made by Audio Technology Switzerland, with the Kudelski family still involved, keeping the brand’s legacy intact.

The Nagra Preamp II-S is available now. Pricing is:

• £21,998 with the Compact PSU
• £18,348 without it (for those using an existing Nagra power supply)

This isn’t an entry-level product, but for people who’ve been eyeing Nagra’s HD or Reference models and want something more compact, without giving up the sonic quality or design, the Preamp II-S might hit the sweet spot.

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