Ssssh, is your tube preamp really that quiet?

Tried out the Audio Research Reference 3 recently. The sound from drumheads, guitars, voices and liquid cymbals was wonderful!
But eaven if the Ref3 is a great preamp famous for it's quietness compared to other tube preamps... there is some (eaven if it's little) grain in the soundpicture anyway.
You must spend some good money on a powercleaner besides the mandatory good powercords I guess.
Compared with the preamp in my SS Bladelius Thor III (which is not in the same priceclass), the Thor is much more quiet or black in the background and gives an impression of more 3D (but not detail!).
And it's not a subtle difference!
It's sad...
The detailed, liquid sound from the Ref3 would be fantastic with a quiet background.. but maybe it's possible with a great powerfilter... I don't know..
I'm givin up the Ref3 and will try out a better dac-source for more soundstage, "blackness", clearer soundbodies, 3D and details instead.

Hm.. To be true.. Realized after my last posting that I have not been quite fair to the Ref3.. The powerchord I use with my SS integrated is better and does make an obvious difference when it comes to create a darker background. The difference between the amps should be smaller to some grade than I experienced..