Are higher end preamps worth the investment when you are only streaming Tidal & Spotify ?

@blisshifi

Thanks that’s cool that you had the KWA150 in monos.  The Modwright pre 36.5 pre is definitely a pre I am looking at. I am also looking at Audio Research preamplifiers such as the LS 28 and ref 5 & ref 5 SE in the used market. Does anyone have any opinions on those. Also you mentioned having a good conditioner with the high current 159 SE . What is the least expensive one I could get used before the law of diminishing returns starts kicking in? I am using a $125 furman conditioner for whatever that’s worth.  

It’s odd that you think subscribing to tidal and or Qobuz isn’t worth putting together a quality system. Not true at all.

Also, about asking Paul from PS Audio if a pre is needed, go ahead and up until Paul made a preamp, his recommendation was to use no preamp, just go from the dac to the amp(s). I used to use a $5k preamp when I had both vinyl and digital. When I got rid of all my vinyl, I compared the sq of using a preamp vs hooking up my dac to my amps. If you have a quality dac that is quiet and has the volume you are looking for, and you are only using a digital source, you don’t need a preamp. I sold my preamp and all after market cables associated with using the preamp.

1 more thing, don’t ask a dealer if you need a preamp, try it yourself and let your ears dictate if you need 1

@puffbojie 

The Dirac gives you the option to take a picture of FR graph which I always do but have no idea where it goes.

Maybe a pictures folder? I use windows so that's my best guess. You will need to upload the pic to your virtual system (see mine as an example) and from their you can copy and paste it into a post like this.

Would love anyone’s insight on what that graph represents once I get it posted.  

I don't use Dirac but here is an example from my streamers ARC room correction. The software offers you a choice of target response curves and you choose one. Then you get a before and after comparison. On the left axis is the decibel level, the bottom axis are the frequencies. The software attempts to match your in room response as closely as possible to the response curve. DSP can cut frequencies that are too high above the curve, but can't lift the frequencies that are below it, the bass. For that you need to try room treatments, moving your speakers away from or toward the wall, etc.

Uh- yeah. The better the pre amp and the rest of the system the better it all sounds generally speaking (not withstanding that Spotify is pretty limited). I stream exclusively and use Quboz via Roon (gave up on Tidal due to being unable to opt of of so many "E" rated tunes via the Roon / Tidal interface). Quboz sounds great and the better the gear, the better it sounds. 

@puffbojie the ARC preamps you mention are very different from each other. The LS28 is very close tonally and performance-wise to the LS36.5, but the LS36.5 DM version beats it in just about every way. With the right tubes, both preamps can be very harmonically rich while still being quite transparent and resolving. The REF series from ARC are less harmonically rich and more clean sounding, focusing on resolution first. Given where your system is, I believe the LS36.5 or LS28 will be a better fit than the Ref 5.

The Modwright LS-100 is good too, but more colored with more slightly rounded edges than the LS36.5.