Preamp for NADC370,please

While I have not heard the C370, I recently bought the C350. Nice sound for the money, but not good enough for me. I had already tried a more expensive ss integrated amp and that didn't cut it either. Since I had already sold my preamp (this was a downsizing exercise), I figured I would use the preamp section of the NAD for awhile. Not wanting to spend a lot because I do not listen to this particular system much, I bought one of those 80 watt AMC tube amps you see auctioned here and on ebay. I got a significant improvement in the sound. Bass was a little deeper, but not as tight. However, the midrange of the AMC is in another league compared to the NAD and just about any other ss amp I have heard under $2k. The AMC does not have as soft a high end as some other all tube amps (it is a hybrid design) so it may not work for you, but I think it is an excellent value and worth investigating. A tube preamp may also help you, but I am not sure what will yield the most bang for the buck.

After spending some more time listening to the preamp section of the NAD C350 into the AMC tube amp, I am starting to think the NAD's preamp section is a bit rough and electronic sounding. I am either going to get some mellow interconnects (I am using revealing ones at the moment) or another preamp. While a good tube preamp will probably give you the best sound, I used to own a Classe DR-4 which was a very rich sounding piece, better than at least one hybrid tube preamp (Audio Note Zero) that I compared it to and certainly better than the NAD. A used DR-4 should be in your price range and will likely be better than the Parasound or the X-Cans.