Opinions on the Bel Canto Pre5 preamp, please.

I am experimenting with preamplifiers to try to squeeze out more transparency from my McIntosh MC402. My speakers are Kef Reference 1s. My current preamp is a Hegel P30 which is excellent but not sota in transparency. I have already tried the Topping Pre90. It was an improvement in transparency but often left smaller acoustic works sounding harsh and flat. My goal is to increase the transparency of the Mac without loosing it's liquidity and musicality.

I'm  not ready to do radical surgery and ditch the Mac. I like it.