Value of a preamp?

A good tubed preamp will greatly enhance your sound period.
 

kennyc: I disagree, as there are satisfying SS preamps also such as Dartzeel, Audionet, Griffon Commander…  it depends on the execution and of course user preference.

There is nothing for kennyc to disagree with here. There is no implication that SS preamps cannot also be good. 

Arguable, all preamps "color" the sound.

Instead, I prefer "season" to "color," since that’s all any audio equipment is doing -- presenting artifacts of sound for delectation. Nothing is untouched. It’s all artifactual.