New Preamp from Musetec

Should be a competitor to the Holo Serene preamp. Which is a competitor to the Benchmark LA4 preamp. I own both of these.

The likely difference is that the Mustec maybe a bit warmer or smoother sounding. The 2 preamps I listed should be used if you do not want the sound of a preamp in the chain. That would be for any price of system.

The Musetec preamp does look amazing on the inside. Likely a great preamp.

One way I compare a pre to see if it adds to the sound is to compare a DAC with volume direct to amp and then with a pre. The pre that had the least additional sound to the system was the Benchmark LA4 and HPA4 preamps. The Holo Serene is very close to that but adds a hint of warmth.

The worst offenders for my tastes added both additional sonics to the mix and also hiss. I dumped a few preamps that did that.

My opinion is of value only to myself and do not question others tastes. My need for a preamp is for 2 reasons. I listen to a lot of FM radio on the airwaves with 3 tuners (not streaming FM). I also found that all DAC volume controls were of lesser quality than the Benchmark LA4 and now the Holo Serene preamps, especially at low volume. I was thinking at one time of buying the Luxman c900u preamp but realized that I would tire of the added sonics.

I have gone through a lot of amps in the past few years and my fav are the CODA#16, KRELL Duo XD lineup, and the Benchmark AHB2. All of these amps sounded best via a preamp that I felt did not add to the sound. There are a few people on A'gon doing the same as me but with what seems like much more expensive amps.

I used to have the CODA 07x preamp, which people love and say sounds like tubes. It was OK for me but irritating in some ways, so I went back to the 1/3 the cost LA4 preamp. I have not been bothered with the sound since and have no need to ever change this preamp. This is paired with the great CODA #16 amp.