For a long time I was happy going straight from the DAC to the amp. I had tried various preamps and found they might add some color to the sound but didn't improve it. Then a friend brought over an ancient Cary SLP-70 preamp that had been extensively recapped. It did magical things to the soundstage but unfortunately it also added a certain glare that I couldn't tolerate. But it did make me realize that a preamp might bring something to my system that I wanted. I have bought and built a variety of preamps. My favorite inexpensive preamp is the Bottlehead Moreplay. It is a $439 kit and it definitely brings some magic. But it is the PS Audio BHK preamp that is staying in my main system. It is very transparent, but it also adds a level of dynamics and soundstage that I find addictive. The BHK turned me from a preamp skeptic to a believer. And I'm sure there are a lot of other terrific preamps that I haven't tried and many may be even better than the BHK. But my guess is the right preamp will take your system to another level.
OMG. What now?
After all the listening, the buying, the seeking, the reading, the tweaking, the testing, the critiquing, the latest trend, and the old forgotten mend… my system sounds wonderful - to me.
I’m enjoying the music without thinking about this thing, that thing, the worst thing, the next thing, the best thing… another thing. But I just know there’s something better!
That’s it. It’s the ultimate blessing or, dare I say it, the ultimate curse. I’ve reached the end of the audiophile’s dilemma. Or have I? What now? So,
1. I’m not using a preamp between my digital source and my amp. Both are outstanding, so do I really need one?
2. Where’s the best place to sell my used stuff?
3. What’s the most obvious “weak link” that’s holding my system back from a yet undiscovered audiophile music nirvana?
We all here suffer the same neuroses, so any help is appreciated.