New Preamp from Musetec

The Benchmark pre definitely has a “sound”.

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.

@yyzsantabarbara 

Then it's hard to imagine two people more at the opposite ends of audio than you and me.  If you want a preamp that does not at all change the amp sound, and you seem not to need the gain, then why not just opt for a passive preamp?

It's not what a preamp adds, it's what it lets the amp reveal.  The purpose of a better preamp, at least as I see it, is to make the amp sound better that it would with another preamp ahead of it.  By better I mean to make what comes out of the amp sound more like live, unamplified, music.  A fine piano or violin played well should sound warm and smooth.  Same for a good voice.  Of course some musicians can make ugly sounds and a good system should reveal that too.  A better preamp, to me, is one that lets what's on the media come through the amp sounding more like the live event at the original taping.  A preamp's function, beyond switching, volume and remote, is not all that well understood.

I don't know anything about the Holo, but I have experienced Benchmark products over the years, including DAC and preamp.  They have a house sound, and have always had a house sound, and to me that sound is just clean, dull and electric.  No wonder, with their switchmode power supplies, chip op amps and heavy feedback.  They always measure very well and I know lots of critics and lots of people say they love them.  Not me.  

Just one opinion here, no more valuable than your own.

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. 

Love my Musetec 005 DAC, excited to hear more about it. Sad they don't have it in black.