Benchmark LA4 Preamp?

I feel that this a killer product that the Audiophile’s will ignore. Price is not the issue, performance is what is so important. I have a very expensive system, yet my ears tell me that this kit is one to beat. I am not in a race to the top, I what is the best regardless of price. I spent heavily on the DAC aspect as that will break or make the music. Long ago I was heavily invested in records. I find the platform flawed. Most new recordings on records are from digital masters. Some reviewers on these recordings indicate that the vinyl version is better than the digital versions. How can that be? There must be some degree alterations on the recordings that translates to vinyl that changes ones perception. I in the past to have found vinyl to have a certain homogeneity that is pleasing, yet not totally accurate. Ear candy, but not totally accurate. Digital I find a bit ruthless, yet not lacking with the right kit. I guess one needs to chose their on poison. I will not judge as each has their way to experience the brilliant world of music. 

I have been using the LA-4 Line Amplifier since early this year. Simply put, it is "the sound of silence." I have a rather simple, but not an inexpensive system.

System: Aurender W20SE, Vivaldi DAC, Vivaldi Word Clock, Pass Labs XA-160 mono block amplifiers (soon to be replace with the MBL 9008A mono block amplifiers), MBL 101E MkII speakers and Tripoint NG ground system. Acoustic Zen Absolute Silver balanced interconnects and Absolute Silver speaker cables (dual pair bi-wiring for each channel). Audioquest Wild Digital balanced interconnects (dual-wire configuration). Shunyata Research Sigma word clock cables and Alpha power cords. Shunyata Research power conditioning for source components. Six dedicated 20 amp outlets.

When I purchase the dCs Vivaldi units, I was using the Pass Labs XP-30 preamplifier. When the XP-30 was compared to the Vivaldi digital volume control, I could clearly hear a slight haze (veiling) to music when played through the XP-30. So, out went the XP-30 to a new home and for a while I only used the Vivaldi volume control. However, I am not so much a fan of digital volume controls, and for bit was searching around for a preamplifier. Having a simple system, I really had no need for preamplifiers with numerous input/output options. What I really wanted was a simple, linear preamplifier with a killer volume control.

It was following a Stereophile review on the LA-4 that got me thinking this line amplifier might be worth pursuing (a 30 day money back guarantee from Benchmark made this an easy experiment). Well, I was not prepared for the purity and lack of editorialization on sound through the LA-4. There is lot invested in my front end and down stream. The LA-4 simply gets out of the way. It is the closest to a straight wire with gain I have heard.

The downside of the LA-4: I is ruthless revealing and some may find rather sterile. There are no added colorations (least that I can appreciate), so if recordings are poor, they will sound poor. It will also lay bare the capabilities of components up stream.

The LA-4 has done nothing to the alter the performance of the Vivaldi/Aurender front end combination. The "sound of silence" and very highly recommended. 

Way off subject, but I find the MBL101E MKII speakers are so real to music. I have had a pile of speakers over the years, rather expensive dynamic and electrostatics, yet nothing has achieved a holistic experience to sound as these. I find most, if not all, dynamic speakers today to be dry and forward. Planar speakers are always quick, but a bit lacking due to backward room energy and sound pressure. I guess I have found my sweet spot with a true omnidirectional speaker. It simply sounds like real music. There is no precise imaging as a dynamic speaker. I have yet to attend a concert that had precise imaging. I find this to be an artifact of our current site of affairs. I had played in band and orchestra in years past, there is no laser imaging, the music should flow as as a gestalt of the group. Yea, a horn or other soloist will stand out, but the ensemble will play as one. Today’s goals are dissection rather exploration of the gestalt of the musical experience (wether jazz, orchestra, reggae, electronic, pop, rock, etc.) I listen to all (even at nearly 64y). 

Music Direct rocks, 60 day is great, but I suspect that a 2 week break-in time will be enough to make a discussion. Just plug it into an outlet and turn it on to max volume and leave the LA-4 for a few weeks. All will be will well once in I the system afterwards. 
This is not a kit that will get sweeter with time. It is ruthless, yet so revealingly. If you what some editorializing on sound, this is not your device. I find that that a truthful line amplifier will balance the front and back end brilliantly. 
I have seen that folks are comparing the LA-4 to preamplifiers in the $20,000 range, I feel that this goes way beyond that point. 
If you have a simple system, this is your go to Line Amplifier. I have no investment or prior knowledge of Benchmark (other than prior reviews of their products). This is my first experience with the company. They simply have hit a home run on a great kit. For that, I am impressed.