i have listened to a lot of preamps. in general i prefer older preamps, such as the audio research sp 10 and mcintosh c 22 ( old stuff). there is one exception. david berning's latest preamp is a great piece, if you have the bucks.
otherwise, if you want to stay reasonable, look for an older preamp, tubed , of course.
otherwise, if you want to stay reasonable, look for an older preamp, tubed , of course.