I have only one suggestion when it comes to step up transformers. Quicksilver. Add ons should usually be avoided in a perfect world. Often we either are already in love with the preamp we have or we can't afford to trade up to the all in one unit that will sovle our problem. To see why transfomers win out over high gain pre amps or pre-preamps, take a magnifying glass and try to magnify an object. While you can see it better, you realize the more you magnify it, the more distorted it becomes.
