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

The direct drive amps I will use won't have output transformers and will put out 5000V to the panels.

Same, drive esl's from the tubes 5kv, mono blocks to keep the speaker wire short as possible, the trany's I mentioned were for the power supply side of things.
I heard a pair of 57's driven like this and it was amazing, they had a pair of Magnat MP-02 Plasma tweeters from 12khz up. I now own them also and they are on my Monoliths from 12khz up. Same as these.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Magnat-Plasma-MP-02-ion-tweeter-massless-air-plasma-speaker-Plasmahochtoner...

Cheers George  

leotis
I am told by someone who should know that the digital volume control on the Oppo produces a signal that is not lossless.

Correct it’s not lossless, If you had to used that digital domain volume control below 75% of full up because it was too loud, you may very well have started to "bit strip" the resolution, from 16bit down to 14bit to 12bit to 10bit ect the lower below 75% you went. The only way out of that one is to have a passive in between and leave the Oppo digital VC up full.

Cheers George

From Oppo tech:

The BDP-105 players will not lose resolution since they are 32-bit DACs. So they are the ideal solution if you want to go direct to an amplifier.

Passive search bar ld me to Tortuga, Kuzma, and/or  Hattor

Clio09 5-25-2018
Seriously, we’re quoting Paul McGowan around here now? Things have gotten a bit worse on this forum than I suspected.

Hi Anthony,

As the saying goes, don’t attack the person making the argument, attack the argument.

Regards,
-- Al