I've owned pretty much every Vandersteen speaker from the 1's all the way up to my current Quatro's. While I agree that changing preamplifiers can definitely affect the soundstage, I don't think that it should be your first move. As said before, Vandersteeen's are very sensitive to positioning, especially tilt. It can make a night and day difference. They also need space to breathe, so set up is very crucial. It also happens to be free. I know that the idea of buying a shiny new toy is always appealing, lord knows I've fallen victim too more times than I'd like to admit, but no matter how good your front end is, if the speakers aren't position properly, you'll never get all the potential out of your system. Look at it this way, its something you're gonna have to do either way. I'm spoiled because the local Vandy dealer is one of my best friends, so anytime I make any changes he comes over with his laser levels and spends the day making adjustments. Its tedious but make a HUGE difference.