How much do I need to spend to get a preamp that sounds better than no preamp?

Please give the man a break, he’s earn’t his dues and his credibility, more than you, I, Ralph and everyone else here put together. No wonder he doesn’t come here.

Nelson Pass on the Aleph L preamp. "Less than <0.1% at full volume" (with active gain in the signal path).
This is minuscule and it’s probably 2hd. Knowing Nelson it’s the nice (tube like) distortion .
And it’s only when the active circuit is fully in over 3 o’clock. All active circuits have some small distortion.
At below 3 o’clock when it’s passive it’s probably zero %.

Pass Labs: Printed SPECIFICATIONS Aleph L (volume control full clockwise)
Maximum Gain 10 dB
Freq. Response +0, -1 dB @ 10 Hz and 100 kHz
Distortion < .1 % THD

Give it a rest.
Cheers George

Like so many things he’s designed, it’s a quirky component with a narrow appeal.

It’s one of his pride and joys as he’s stated, and said it’s a wonder it hasn’t made him filthy rich, not that he’s not already.

Give him a break? You’re banging on as if this thing is audio divinity.

Your searching for anything to put it and him down, and nothing is correct, as I have to post what he says and has measured in published in specs, to counter now 3 times what **** you’ve said.
The reason you don't like it and keep putting *** on it, is because your F5 only has 15db of gain and you need a preamp or source with huge voltage gain, and this is not it. 

I WOULD RATHER BELIEVE HIM THAN YOU, AND THAT’S A FACT!

Cheers George