Add a pre-amp to Mola Mola Tambaqui?

As I write this, I am listening to my $1100 Class A Schitt Mjolnir preamp with a $800 Class A Schitt Aegir amp and a Schitt Yggi+ LIM DAC with a RAAL CA-1a headphone. I am listening to the group Sault and it is incredible. I need warmth in this setup.

This preamp is going work well with the KRELL DUO. Forget about the Tambaqui's contribution to the sound. That is not going to determine your sound as much as the KRELL. I personally would not use the Mjolnir with Blades since the other 2 preamps I mentioned are not warm, but the Mjolnir will do what you seek with added warmth. This preamp also has a 15-day home trial. It sounds great with Class A amps like the Aegir and I am sure the Class A KRELL.

I know the sound of the KRELL XD well since I owned 2 of these pieces and I am debating trading in my big amp for the new KRELL KSA i400. Your KRELL is going to dominate your sound, not the Tambaqui. Seek a preamp that matches the amp.

This may sound sacrilegious, but I like the sound of the KRELL XD so much that I would never want to use a preamp that adds anything to the amps sound. You give me a free $100k preamp, no thanks, if it adds to the sound. Not the way I want my system anymore.

A KRELL dealer told me that the CAST is not that good. I do not know since I never tried it.

If you are going to go KRELL preamp, wait because they want to come out with a new preamp to match the KSA i400 amp that I mentioned earlier. If I were to get that $36k KRELL amp I would use my $3k Benchmark LA4 with it. I know that it is a great pairing because it was so with the DUO 175XD.

Try a Benchmark LA4 for a 30-day home trial, I was all in on getting the Makua about 6 years ago. Then looked at the descriptions of both the LA4 and Makua and thought the LA4 maybe a cheaper version of the Makua. I am not even curious about the Makua now.

The Leedh volume control on the Lumin X1 (owned it) was almost as good as the volume on the LA4 preamp. The areas where it was not as good was really not that important in real usage (very low volume).

The Lumin X1 is the only DAC that I think the volume control was similar to a preamp. ALL digital DAC volume controls I owned, except the X1, were lacking to my ears. Just lower the volume and listen.

BTW - I owned the KRELL DUO 175XD and loved it with the LA4 preamp. I was also planning on buying the KEF Blade but did not think it could survive in my home. Another preamp to consider that is similar to the LA4 is the Holo Serene.

BTW2 - Since you were mentioning using a tube preamp in front of the KRELL DUO 300XD. Something I would not do, too warm. I would look at a preamp such as the CODA 07x or Schitt Mjolnir to warm things up. Still too warm for me but I think a better choice than tubes. That Mjolnir is a beauty for $1100. I use it with headphones. Sold the 07x.