Balanced preamp recommendation : w4s, hegel, parasound


Hi all,

I'm looking to change my audio Gd nfb1amp preamp for one with a real HT bypass (plus xlr input, 2 RCA inputs, RCA and XLR outputs...).

The power amp is a Nord Ncore 500.
I've found 3 candidates under 1500$ (used ones) :

- wyred4sound Mpre : great reviews a few years ago but very ugly
- hegel P20 : very few reviews, looks solid
- Parasound P7 : swiss army knife. Musical enough?

What are your views on these devices ? Is there other good choices for the same price ?
I prefer neutral/ warm sound than bright one.
I made some researches on the forum, I live in Europe so many brands are unavailable in my country (or too much custom taxes).
I saw the Schiit Freya, it hasn't real HT bypass, it's too bad, very affordable.
;)





ros3bud
There's a Audio Alchemy DDP-1 + PS 5 for a great ask  of $1500 at AudioMart . I love mine
Beauty is only skin deep.  In 1980, I brought home a NAD integrated amplifier to try with my Advent speakers despite my opinion that the NAD was ugly.  It blew away my Marantz receiver and I bought the NAD.  What a great sounding integrated amp that was.  If you can, try as many preamps as possible making sure the output impedance is compatible with your amp.  Good luck!
Check out the Emotiva XSP-1 It is a two channel pre . It seems ruler flat to me . Any recording I play through it can be played at any volume without fatigue . dead quiet and just gets out of the way . I picked mine up in a group package I picked up to flip . This Emotiva is a keeper . I don't know what I would have to spend to get better results , and I cannot imagine what aspect could even sound better . 
It has tone controls if desired or defeatable by going "direct" mode . Has xlr and rca inputrs and outputs , Phono too . 

I am currently running a Nad silverline s200 amp with it into King Sound speakers and Adam audio Tensor Gammas . Makes both speakers shine 
I've never heard about the emotiva xsp1...interesting

Any thoughts about the audio gd master 1 versus the others (mpre w4s, parasound p7, primare pre32...)?
+1, @stringreen,  I also recommend the OP consider one of the Ayre Acoustics pre-amps.  Please see:

https://www.ayre.com/categories/pre-amps/

There are six Ayre pre-amps for sale on Audiogon at several different price points.