Having an Audio Research LS27 I have found that when I connect my approximatly 35 year old Stax headphone systems using Stax either solid state or tube Stax amplifiers with them that when I hook the Stax systems thru my LS27's record out outputs that the audio reproduction itself improves drastically for the better. Recently I replied in an Audio Research internet listning from someone who previously worked in a recording studio that they in fact hooked various audio devices themself thru the record outputs of a then top end Audio Research preamplifier. I also recently looked over a Pul McGowan video in which he himself learned, from his good friend, the late Arnie Nudell, how at the time a truly great preamp can itself vastly improve audio quality.I believe to achieve such results depends upon the quality of the preamplifier itself as when I tried the same experiment with a Classe DR5 solid state preamp, the sound quality is deminished. It is a simple experiment with even 35 plus year old Stax headphone systems. With a true quality preamplifier such as a recent Audio Research ls 27 the sound will in fact be much better than running the audio source directly into an amplifier. With a less than perfect preamp, but still not too bad, most likely the sound would be better running without a preamp than with one. By the way my present Audio Research LS27 on paper looks so simular to the PS Audio BK preamplifier. Both are solid state using only 2 small tubes, both offer single ended and ballanced inputs and outputs plus one is able to adjust the gain settings on all audio sources. Thus I get great results using only a Odyssey Khartago, 110 watts per channel, tu run my MartinLogan SL3's easily with great results. One of these days I will visit PS Audio as it is only4-5 miles away from me.
