Preamp recommendation pre amp


I am looking to buy a preamp and would need some suggestion.

Currently my system is:

B&W Nautilus 802
Mcintosh 352 (Solid State)
CD/Pre Mark Levinson 39
Speaker cables MIT Oracle V3 (RCA)
IC MIT V3.1 balanced
No special power cords, I am not sure how the power line is but can say the wiring is rather old.

Positives: sound stage, details, layering, liquid mids and good bass.

Negatives: Highs are a bit grainy/edgy and a tad lean, mids sometimes tends to be a bit lean too.

I was thinking of trying the following Preamps:
ML 380s
CJ 16LS MKII

Would appreciate comments on these preamps and also other preamps that you all think would be a good match for my system.

How useful will be a good power cord/conditioner in my setup?

Thanks
sahotas

Showing 1 response by nrchy

I let my stereophile subscription lapse about six years ago when they started writing about powercords. I bought into the interconnect and speaker cable and heard the improvement, but power cords were just too much. A little over a year ago I resubscribed and saw they were still pushing the same stuff. I thought, what the heck... I went down to the local HiFi shop and bought an inexpensive power cord. It cost about $125. It was a Transparent Audio Powerlink Plus. Sure enough it did work. It seems like most power cords remove grain from the sound.
I'm using a Tice Powerblock and I think it has helped the sound quite a but but if I had to buy something now I would get the PS Audio P 300. The nice thing about the Tice is I can run my amp through it bit the P 300 is too small for that.
I like Krell pre-amps so I don't know that I'd have any credibility in your eyes but I have never heard the problems with the sound that some people complain about with the Krell equipment. My KRC sounds fantastic and yes I have had expensive tube gear and NO I wouldn't do it again. They aren't worth the trouble.