Gfloyd53 - You may not need a pre-amp at all. I had the same experience with a highly regarded $8,000.00 pre-amp (soft, warm, lacking in detail, and I kept having to turn the volume up to get any satisfaction). I bought it used and kept for 6 months - never got any better. Sold it and bought a Placette passive unit which gives me detail, transparency, body, everything I wanted. Have had it for 8 months now and will probably never go back to a pre-amp.
By the way, I use a 300B SET amp and get extended high frequencies and transparency up the ying-yang.
By the way, I use a 300B SET amp and get extended high frequencies and transparency up the ying-yang.