best preamps

'Best' I've heard include an EAR 912...a VTL 17.5 VII and a Boulder...forget which model.

I have demoed the Ypsilon PST-100 mk2 in my system, it is indeed one of the top preamps on the market.

furiouslyadrift,
What particular model of FUNK preamp are you speaking of? Just curious if it is the one I think it is.

I'm ashamed about my Schiit Freya...it's not expensive enough to be taken seriously, and although it sounds fabulous it engenders scorn and shunning by high end audio geeks who spend multiples of its cost on other things...I mentioned it at Goodwin's recently and several sales dudes had to be restrained from physically attacking me...fortunately my attorney got a gigantic settlement from them, and now I can get that ARC reference I always wanted thus restoring what's left of my credibility. However, I decided to keep the Freya and bought another Santa Cruz guitar instead. Credibility Schmedibility!

folkfreak graciously invited me over to his place to hear his system, which includes a Ref 40. He runs it with the top cover off, so I was able to see it’s guts. That pre is a thing of beauty, a real work of art. But for me to spend 25 g’s on a pre (assuming I had it), it would have to provide an out-of-body musical experience. I think the law of diminishing returns has never been more true than today. The guitar I'd buy would be a Gibson J-200.