"get the best preamp you can afford"
Interesting suggestion. I certainly agree that the preamp can impact the sound as much if not more than the power amp...and ideally each should compliment the other. My LS-15 was modified a few years ago by Great Northern Sound Company. Although no longer in business, they were highly regarded for their ARC modifications. The modifications plus the replacement of stock tubes combined to improve the sound of the LS-15 to a fairly significant extent. All this to say, I am pretty sure I have a better preamp than the original LS-15 but I still wonder how much I may be missing compared to some of the new models.
Interesting suggestion. I certainly agree that the preamp can impact the sound as much if not more than the power amp...and ideally each should compliment the other. My LS-15 was modified a few years ago by Great Northern Sound Company. Although no longer in business, they were highly regarded for their ARC modifications. The modifications plus the replacement of stock tubes combined to improve the sound of the LS-15 to a fairly significant extent. All this to say, I am pretty sure I have a better preamp than the original LS-15 but I still wonder how much I may be missing compared to some of the new models.