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
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Another soap box rant, a blind man can see the fins are there for looks, they look a lot better than a plain square box.
http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=151232

Cheers George
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I’m pretty sure that’s what I said, isn’t it?
No you were putting ****on the fins, and I wasn’t.
I like the fins, as I said
" they look a lot better than a plain square box."!!!!
http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=151232

Geesh!#! read first, think, pause, then react.