Is my preamp useless?

Marqmike, I own your speakers in a second system for my wife. Very musical speakers. Love the amp you put on them also. Good match. Your system is well matched and looks to be very musical. Well done.

Interesting comments on your experience with the LSA. It certainly sounds good in the right system. I agree with all you said, but wonder how prudent it is to build a system around a passive preamp. I know you did not suggest we do that, but I guess I don't think a passive is that hard to use or work into a system. Most digital front ends have plenty of output and many amps are of sufficient input sensitivity and impedance. Can it be the LSA is pure Magic in 1% of all system combinations:). No. I do t think that is the case. I think it works in many more systems than that.

Atmasphere,
I think you were generalizing that Actives were better than passives. I do not think I attacked your statement in any way. I was suggesting that we cannot make generalized statements. Isn't TVC a passive component?

Grannyring,
It is not worthwhile to eat even a small coating. We are not trying to win anything here. I want to stress the importance of system matching. You may try LSA for the 4th time in your system. But if that did not work for the previous 3 times, what makes you think it will work the 4th time? Also, I suggest you try a very high quality TVC like Music First or Bespoke. You seem to have some expensive gear, so I am suggesting you these expensive TVCs. I would have suggested Promitheus Signature TVC - but I have my reservations against delivery times and customer service. The TVC I have is excellent component. I have compared it with a Line stage that costs $4500 and had to return that $4.5K component back.
Hope you have a great shootout and an enjoyable one at that!

Hi Bill, well, you have had the Light speed on three separate occasions and each time you felt your active provided better sound. I honestly don't see how you expect the difference the fourth time around to change but we will see. You will do the comparisons again but in my opinion the Yamamoto DAC
will sound better with your active line stage,it will be more musically complete and realistic sounding. As you know Bill, I have used this DAC for the past four years and it is marvelous. It is really terrific in connection with my active line stage. Tonality and harmonically sorted out with excellent dynamics and musical flow and pace. It should mate beautifully with your custom Dude preamp. I look forward to your listening impressions.
Charles

"I feel folks who come here for sincere audio discussions should post their system so that the other party can understand why the poster is so exited about his/her system. I think we all have gone through a certain phase of changes/upgrades, to arrive at what we like. So why not post your equipment here for others to see and then decide why the poster is exited about what he/she is recommending.
Milpai (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)"

Listing ones system, in no way, better qualifies the advice they give. How could it? How do you know the system someone lists is a completed project. They could be currently going through the mistake phase. Or any other phase, for that matter. Most of the stuff I recommend, I don't even own.

I firmly believe that to be successful in putting a system together, you need to take responsibility for your own actions. If you're fool enough to take a review or recommendation without personal verification before the purchase, you've got no one but yourself to blame. Even though we sit and listen to music, audio is a very hands on hobby. If you want good sound, you have to go out and get it for yourself. You can't just let someone tell you what to buy and expect to be happy. Its like asking a life guard to tell you how to swim, and then go jump in a lake.

Zd542,

While I agree that seeing a listing of others' megabuck systems doesn't necessarily make them better qualified to make recommendations, I do think seeing system setups can be very helpful in evaluating poster's comments.

Seeing systems, the way they are set up and the rooms they are in can definitely help us all when reading various comments. I've seen systems set up in obviously bright non treated rooms on non carpeted ceramic or wooden floors with rear ported speakers backed up against a wall or sliding glass door and thought "note to self, take anything this guy says with a grain of salt" because I'll know withy a doubt that what he's hearing in a setup like that will have zero correlation to what I'll get in my room.

Wouldn't you agree that what sounds great in a room like that might not sound good in a treated deader room with more open speaker placement?