I had the SLP 05 with ultimate upgrade for a few years. It's a great preamp, maybe not the final word in transparency but certainly falls into the camp of classic tube amp (warm) sound. It's audio jewelry, built like a tank. I actually preferred the Schiit Freya + personally after spending months going back and forth between the two. I was using some CBS Hytron tubes in the freya that made it sound a lot better than the stock tubes and those tubes cost almost as much as the preamp itself but it's really good for the money. I don't think you will have a problem matching the SLP 05 to any amp. It has a lot of gain, you won't be much over 9 O'clock on the dial with the volume.
Is the Cary SLP-05 still relavant?
Given the history and reviews of this preamp with its ability for tube rolling and its "Ultimate" upgradeability, Where does it stand as a premium offering vs something like the PS Audio BHK? Is it still relevant? It still gets sporadic press, but has fallen out from Stereophile recommended equipment list.