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

As I sit here listening with no preamp, it seems like common sense would tell you that if a preamp alters the sound from the source in any way it’s really a processor of some type. Right?

To me this is correct, but I use the term colouration/distortions not processor.
And that why all "preamp aficionados" have different views how all of them sound, as no two sound the same, and no one sounds like the proverbial "piece of wire" like going direct does.

Also sources today and even yesterday have outputs that are just as good as most preamps, and better than some.

Here’s another little gem from the audio god himself on passives: And going direct is even easier for the source.

Nelson Pass:
Historically we have had a number of consumers concerned about input and output
impedances of equipment, but from our experience the concern is largely unjustified.
From the standpoint of input impedance, I can only say that it is a very pitiful source that
cannot come up with the 100 micro-amps of current needed to drive this input. I don’t know
of any tube circuit that doesn’t bias to at least 100 times this amount.
The output impedance needs to be low enough to drive the capacitance of a reasonably long
cable. How low does it need to be? I would say that it should be able to drive a 1000 pF
load out to 100 KHz. The worst case output impedance of the Aleph L will drive 1000 pF
with a -3dB rolloff at 225 KHz."

Cheers George

Sometimes when we get too smart we sacrifice common sense. Not that I am more experienced or smarter than the posters here. 

For me, common sense tells me that ANY time you can eliminate cables, jacks, circuitry from the signal, it would be better- better as in 'more accurate'. Saves money, too. 

But sometimes, adding a preamp serves to RESTORE, what is lost between the source and the amp. Passives aren't always as transparent as they seem. 

I think it IS possible to have a preamp with a better volume control than what the Oppo does, easier on the cables, and thus, better sound. Or not. Which parts of science we wish to apply should not cloud the application of what will actually work better. 

I might ask, is the modulas 3a or 3b better than the L1? What about balanced? I missed if those are being used going direct with the Oppo. 

I missed if those are being used going direct with the Oppo.

It is one case where going direct to amp with the balanced output betters the rca because the Oppo use a balanced output dacs in the Sabre which has + and - outputs in each channel, so it's naturally better to use it's xlr output than it's re-configured xlr to rca.

Cheers George 

Re: balanced vs rca on the Oppo: certainly, I might expect it to be better, but I mention it because it's another variable. AI pre's are single ended. 

If I understand correctly, the amp is a McCormack? I don't remember those as being xlr inputs, but I could be wrong. Maybe it was an option? 

I just recently got a UDP-205, and it is going into an Audible Illusions M3a. I haven't been able to compare the rca vs balanced, I don't have the stuff. What I CAN say is, to spite having the "best dacs available" or at least the best for Oppo, the old Theta Prime 2 seems to be a batter dac. 

I mention this, because as far as "upgrading", the rca vs XLR is right there in the picture, ain't it? A balanced pre makes sense if the other components are balanced, even better yet, TRULY balanced, but it doesn't make sense to ugrade to balanced to take advantage of the Oppo's balanced outputs when a better dac could be had for less money.

The best way to me, because it uses Sabre balanced + and  - dac chip outputs, is to use the XLR output on the Oppo direct into a true XLR input poweramp. And use the Oppo’s volume control, hopefully it’s used at 75% or higher so there’s no risk of "bit stripping" This should be the ultimate in transparency and dynamics.

Cheers George