So why this public statement from him (again below), and it is in direct reference to what the OP is experiencing, TOO MUCH GAIN EVERYWHERE.
He has a prefect match with the PSA direct into his Cary's and eliminating all that active preamp gain. And I bet my life that the PSA has a beefier output stage than the BAT tube preamp has, so it should drive even better.
" Nelson Pass,
We’ve got lots of gain in our electronics. More gain than some of us need or want. At least 10 db more.
Think of it this way: If you are running your volume control down around 9 o’clock, you are actually throwing away signal level so that a subsequent gain stage can make it back up.
Routinely DIYers opt to make themselves a “passive preamp” - just an input selector and a volume control.
What could be better? Hardly any noise or distortion added by these simple passive parts. No feedback, no worrying about what type of capacitors – just musical perfection.
And yet there are guys out there who don’t care for the result. “It sucks the life out of the music”, is a commonly heard refrain (really - I’m being serious here!). Maybe they are reacting psychologically to the need to turn the volume control up compared to an active preamp."
Cheers George