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

honashagen OP
If so just put a bunch of your favourite preamps in series and the sound would just keep getting better!

Yeah that would open the eye’s (ears), should just keep getting better and better until nirvana’s has been reached.
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tweak1536 posts05-28-2018 5:04amI just closed a deal for a Hatton passive XLR, so will see whether it improves on no preamp. If no glitches, I should have it by friday

Can we know what your sources impedance and output voltage is and the power amps input impedance and sensitivity is, so there are no question raised?
As you’ve posted in other posts that you have a tube/capacitor coupled output Raysonic source, which would not be very low output impedance especially in the bass, for your experiment to be conclusive in it’s outcome.
Also do you have a link to this Hatton xlr pre, all I can find is stuff to do with bands/studio ect.  

Cheers George

Can we really expect a simple pre amp to improve on the mastering engineers ear and gear? If so just put a bunch of your favorite preamps in series and the sound would just keep getting better!

Improve on it no- maintain neutrality yes.

If you were instead to put a bunch of your favorite passive volume controls in series, the result would not be pretty. Nor would putting a bunch of active preamps in series. The idea in high end audio is to do the least damage to the signal while getting it from the source to the speakers.

The simple fact is that a passive is too simple to do the job. The reasons why have been explained several times in this thread.

I guess my takeaway so far has been that an active preamp can actually improve the sound of the source. Your comment about doing the least amount of damage makes the most sense to me.

I've tried it at length. Most notably with a TEO passive preamp. It still misses out on that jump factor, that aliveness that a good active brings to the table. I only really use analog signal though, maybe one might have more luck with digital.