LS16 and LS 16mk2 are two tottaly differents preamps.
LS16 is fully tube and will play exellent with tube sourse as
dac 3 CD7 and tube amp but mk2 not.
If you have sourse base or
chips or power amp solid then you mk2 can win
because is hybrid.
SAY THIS IS BETTER OR THAT IS BETTER IS TYPICAL
NOT ADVANCE ACOUSTIC MUSIC LISTENERS LACK
OF SENCE THAT SYSTEM IS MULTIPLY OF ALL ELEMENTS
FROM INSTRUMENT TO LISTENING ROOM.
If preamp do not have feedback i would search
with feedback . if sourse is fully ballanced keep going
this way.
Some components have to be the same company
to play even. Chip volume control make 20-25 %
disadventage compare to analog potenciometer but
is 20 times chiper.