Upgrading pre amp advice.

L.I near Tube Audio , excellent preamplifier.

@simonb : what preamp do you use? And which speakers do you have?
I agree placing of speakers is very very important and so is room treatment. But I think more is possible to reveal by my speakers.

@audioman58 : this amp doesn't have balanced in- and outputs I would like to have.

The LINEAR TUBE AUDIO  does not have to be balanced , just order it with the balanced input transformers it’s actually $600 less $$  for the otl output stage 

uses RCAs anyway.

I meant to say just order without balanced input transformers ,$600 less $$.

@vhond : I either use a home made passive or my topping PRE90. I find the PRE90 very neutral as indicated in the reviews. It adds or takes away nothing to the sound. Easier to use than the passive pre-amp as it has a remote. I bought it because it had superb reviews. Read the Stereophile review is the one that sold it to me. Plus the 140db noise floor from ASR. My speakers are Dynaudio EMIT30’s or ATC SCM7’s with a sub. Depending on the mood. I like the small point source sound from the SCM’s very analytical as they are Studio Calibration Monitors. :)

As an aside I have Qutest, P90SE and a uDAC. I can use all three into my PRE90 for a choice. I’ve gone back to Moode Audio on a Pi5 for the moment. I like the extremely detailed rich sounding and not bright and jingly punch it gives to the sound.

Hope this helps.