I'm selling a CAT SL-1 III with Phono for a firm $2600, but you don't mention LP's as a source, and if you're not playing them, and especially if you have only one source, I should mention that I've used a DIY passive preamp very successfully with the Aleph 3, and Nelson Pass told me that many other customers of his have too, despite its low gain and lowish input impedance. You can EASILY put together a better passive preamp than anything commercial that I've read about: a ladder stepped attenuator using excellent resistors and excellent switches (dual mono, gives you a balance control too, if you use those things). My passive sounds a lot better with CD's than my CAT. But it wasn't clear from your posting what you find unsatisfactory about your present setup. How do you expect another preamp to be better? What do you feel that you're lacking now?
Preamp HELP!!! for Pass Aleph 3
I have a Pass Aleph 3 and Proac Response 1SC, Red Dawn speaker cable. I currently have a choice of Naim CD 3.5, SF SFCD-1, and Conrad Johnson DV2b. I have Cardas Golden Cross between my BAT VK3i preamp and the Pass, and Red Dawn between the CD player and the BAT. Does anyone know a better full function preamp I could be using? Which CD player would you use? Or any system modifications I could make?