Dartzeel 108

Have tried using Elgar Plus straight to amp for past 5yrs with various combinations of amps and speakers. Although most times I do get excellent sound, I always felt something essential missing from the whole musical picture. So here I am now a believer, with pre-amp being the building block as well the costliest component in my set-up.

You have made great choices of amp and speakers, however, to unleash their fullest potential I do think you need to allocate budget on a good pre too. Or maybe as Mmike84 above suggests, even consider getting them first! In your case, inserting a darTZeel NHB-18NS (pre) in current set-up and do the amp upgrade later when budget permits. Fetish aside.. =)) imo, this to be the better path taken.

Vaipe : I do like the system, it’s very fast, punchy, with a huge sound stage. But something is missing, it’s not refined. Reading the reviews, I think I’ll have everything that gamut delivers plus a sweet refined sound.

< In reference to essence of post.
As I have found, with a good pre-amp, you will preserve the transparency and transient performance you had/liked, but with an improved sense of pace and timing, as well, more heft (body, weight, organic) feel to instruments.

Also, most noticeable will be a more developed (width, depth, height) and organized soundstage, with better delineation of individual instruments being fleshed out into their own separate living entity (space), yet more seamless/continuous both at the same time.

Overall, resulting in a much more relaxed (refined) and involving (3D, live) listening experience. And to me, it's like finally the music had found 'SOUL'! Just an addendum to my previous post.. Good luck, and have some fun while at it anyway!