High end stereo preamps? Worth it?

@georgehifi,

Obviously there isn’t a randomized, blindfolded study published on my supposition. My point is that the “distortion” straw man set up in previous posts is not, in all cases, wedded to the effect on the listener’s ear in real life. So, I chose to make an example at the extremes. Thanks to today’s technology, you can buy a receiver at Best Buy tonight for $300 having gaudier distortion numbers than the Lamm ML2.2 SETs; a unit that the vast majority of professional reviewers regard as among the very best sounding amplifiers on the planet. 

Ok

Look no further than the Audio Illusions Modulus 3B w the Curl MC phono stage. I’ve tried a lot of the above pre amps, and the M3B is, by far, the best for the money (did someone say best?). 
Disclosure: Currently running Lamm ML2.1s, ARC CD9se, and W/P 8s. 

Not really sure what the “distortion” argument is. If you look at the very best sounding amplifiers, e.g., the Lamm ML 2.2s, the THD numbers don’t approach many of the solid state designs...  But, there aren’t many folks (in a blindfolded test) who’d take a 0.001THD amp over, say, a Lamm SET With much higher THD numbers.

George,

I was trying to make a point with extremes. A point which you can substitute your favorite amp in place of the Lamms. The thrust of my argument, I believe, will still hold true. 
No one can argue your perception or argue how any piece of equipment makes you feel.  But, with respect to the example I’ve chosen, the Lamm SETs, it’s really not fair to discount what a great majority of reviewers, reviewers who are paid to review gear, have said about a unit publicly and in major journals. You certainly are free to disagree about their opinions, but still...

Best,

b

Not going to dig out the references, but I used the Lamms as an example bc reviewers in Absolute Sound, Stereophile, and several other journals have said it—repeatedly—about every iteration of the Lamm SET products. I chose the Lamm example bc they have relatively high THD graphs and pros said they sound better than pretty much everything else out there.