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
The ARIA imparted more energy in the upper bass region, which seemed to smoothen (i.e.: make more flat) this area compared to the SOtM DAC-direct connection, and moreover spatiality and/or the sense dimensionality was more pronounced/convincing, which was especially apparent during live applause sequences that seemed to emanate from a plane just behind the speakers with striking realism - quite impressive. The uptick in upper bass energy also made voices come through with a bit more solidity.
The most common problem with operating a passive control is the loss of bass impact; in this passage you are confirming it.
What I don't get is why you stopped with the Aria. There are a lot of preamps out there, and they really vary! IMO/IME it is a statement about how bad many of them are that a passive system can keep up with them. Getting a sub adjusted correctly is always a tricky bit- and I know David Belles well enough to know that his electronics are really flat- so the bass you are referring to above was not being enhance by his preamp. It some other interaction, and setting up the sub to compensate is creating a synergy.
IME again, synergies are usually a situation where one weakness is played against another, resulting in something that *seems* better than either on their own. An alternative is that if you worked with stuff that stood on their strengths rather than their weaknesses, you create something that is even better.  I would try a variety of preamps and see if you can do better that the Aria, and be willing to readjust the sub in that light (since you were willing to do that to compensate for the usual loss of bass otherwise...). You might also look into tube preamps; IMO they offer more detail than solid state.
When I inserted a Hattor XLR passive (sans buffer) between my Oppo 105 and my then EP 100.2SE amps(newest AA amp on its way)  everything improved, especially bass

It could be that my  system  is 100% balanced, Isn't everybody doing that by now?
No. Balanced definitely helps. I find I get better bass going from single ended to balanced when running active preamps as well.
When I inserted a Hattor XLR passive (sans buffer) between my Oppo 105 and my then EP 100.2SE amps(newest AA amp on its way) everything improved, especially bass

It could be that my system is 100% balanced, Isn’t everybody doing that by now?


It was far more likely that you were experiencing "bit stripping" (a loss of resolution) when you went direct, as you were not using your Oppo’s volume control above 75% as the level was too loud to do this.
And getting the better bass with the Hattor Passive pre you had you Oppos volume control up higher so there was no "bit stripping" going on.

And as far as balanced sounding better than single ended this is a Furphy, the only time this may happen is if the interconnects are very long (over 5mts> 10mts)

Cheers George
And as far as balanced sounding better than single ended this is a Furphy, the only time this may happen is if the interconnects are very long (over 5mts> 10mts)
This statement is false- balanced lines offer less coloration even if they are only 6" long. This is way you can run longer lengths with them, since they have far less coloration. Just today I installed balanced cables in a system that were only 1/2 a meter and the improvement was instantly audible.