You're in luck; I have hed BOTH these units, and would say you DEFINITELY would/should upgrade BOTH these, without question. The ald-1 in particular sounded like a completely different (and far better, across the board) pre-amp after upgrade; the amp also improved in transparency and smoother tonal quality w/ better bass. If you'd rather not go through the trouble of selling/buying new gear; these upgrades are very worthwhile. I say, go for it!