How much do I need to spend to get a preamp that sounds better than no preamp?


Hello all.
I'm using an Audible Illusions L1 preamp and I think my system sounds better when I remove it from the signal path. Oppo BD105 directly to SMC Audio DNA1 Gold power amp. I have read that there is level of quality you need to hit before there will be an improvement in sound. I can't seem to find what that level is. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Ben
honashagen


Don't worry  mrdecibel

 I had to have Nelsons view again, so I emailed him, and asked under "ideal conditions" when only the passive (<3o'clock) is used what happens to the active stage, this is what he said again without revealing what the "patent" part of the circuit was.
So as you can read at 3 o'clock and below in volume all you hear is the source.   

" Under ideal conditions, where attenuation of the tap point is exactly that of the active gain, the active stage disappears, and any setting below that is the source.
Non-ideal case would include distortion, which is attenuated by the ratios of the source impedance, potentiometer impedance and load impedance, the active circuit being s current source."

As I said, kosst had a nerve to question what he said, as he isn't Nelson itch spot.

Cheers George


Post removed 
You right, the best preamp is passive, with no amplification, If you power
amp  get  good gain and speakers get enough sensitivity , Take a look
Alexus preamp 
bache
 Take a look
Alexus preamp  
Very nice, a little expensive.$995 
You get the same type of volume control in the $699 Freya from Schitt. Plus you can switch it from passive (as the Alexus is)  to two different active buffer modes with a little gain for some added colourations, tube or solid state. And it has rca and balanced. 
http://www.schiit.com/products/freya 

Cheers George