Multi channel preamps

Jeffreybehr,
What TAS issue are you referring to?
I'm interested in that preamp myself, and I talked briefly with Mr.Johnson at CES about it, but it wasn't playing at the time.
BTW, I have McIntosh C-45 in my system.

TAS issue 160, March, 2006, HP's Workshop, part II, Equipment Notes, page 106. I quote partially: "...it brings something to my Super Maggie/Meitner system that had been missing. ... With the MET1 in the system, the flesh of the sound, the overtones that enrich the harmonic structure of music, fills out." Previously he talked about the Meitner doing well at presenting the bones of the music without much flesh on them. You need to read it yourself to hope to understand Harry's analogy.

I'm saving my pennies...750,000, that is. Shouldn't take more than, say, 10 years. :-)

But I still really like the sound of my Audio Refinements Pre 5; you should look for one used.
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I went through this about a year ago - in fact you'll see my exact same post somewhere in the archives. I listened to the Audio Refinement, the McCormack, and the Bel Canto. The AR is great if you only have under a grand to spend, but I found it had some annoying qualities (upper-mids I think) that were hard to take, and not nearly as transparent as the other two. The Bel Canto I found to be by far the best - soundwise and flexibility. Read up on the technology in it and R&D involved. It's a preamp I'd be happy to have with only 2 channels. But again, you did not mention price... these are currently a steal used though.

I second the bel canto pre6 which is whate I own. It is truly transparent. I believe it to be one of (if not the best) the best multichannel amp in its price range.