Are you looking to steer the sound in any particular direction? I'd consider adding a tube preamp to the mix. Tubes generally add a little more air, life, into things vs SS. I'm familiar with BAT. Should be a good match for you. Anywhere from a vk3i to vk50se, all are balanced for your system. I have a vk50se and am thinking about a pass x350. What speakers?
Pre-amp questions for SCD-1 & EMC-1
As of this moment I am using a Theta Casablanca as my processor for my Sony SCD-1, and EMC-1. The amp is a Pass Labs X350. Would taking out the Casablanca and opting for a pre-amp improve my sound quality. If so how much of a change should I expect. My second question is what pre-amp do you recommend? I would love to use the XLR connections on both of these players, so if you could please recommend pre-amps w/ balanced connections.