Best Line Stage Preamp?

If you want to actually hear what your amp can do, get the Placette passive. Clearly (no pun intended) the most transparent "pre-amp" I've ever heard. I own one by the way, and it replaced an $8,200.00 pre based on sound and music making ability. However, if you need to alter or "tailor" the sound of your amp because you think something is missing or is there that shouldn't be, try a few pre-amps. Most of them make good tone controls.

Yea, that is why Placette makes a more expensive active preamp, so you can have the option to 'tailor' the sound.

The Placette active line stage would be nice. But along those same lines, I would not discount the Pass Labs X-1 nor the Chapter Audio Preface preamps.

I've owned all of these and are all top runners in their solid state price categories.

I've demo'ed the Ayre K3-x in my home a few years ago and was not very impressed. It could have had to do with it's built-in 'Ayre conditioners' that may have affected the colorations and resolution.

-IMO

Hi Stehno: Interesting about the Ayre (I guess it's the same model I listened to).
I found it very "neutral" sounding. I can't remember any gross negatives. Coming to think of it, I can't remember major positives either -- other than it was in the "enjoyable" list!
Cheers

I have found the Hovland just produces music in the most compelling way. After owning tons of passive and active designs over the last 20+ years I can confidently tell you that transparency is not the only issue and can in fact keep you from exploring what makes music seems the most real. The Hovland makes virtually every source enjoyable from Tuners, SACD, CD etc. The latest configuration of the HP-100 clears up any concerns over the very earliest versions.