JADIS DEFY7, can not get it to sing

@mozartfan  You just posted an interesting point. You have found yourself in a difficult position...because you acquired an excellent amp and spent $$ to do it, without realizing that the amp is only half the picture at best. I wonder how many folks have done exactly the same thing, blown their budget on the amp ( or the preamp) and had noting left to complete the picture. This is certainly one of the 'traps' with buying separate pieces. In your case, this has led you to incorrectly assume that the amp is at fault, when in fact the upstream gear is at issue ( some, or all of it...starting with the preamp). 

I read your post and I don't think you really understood mine. Stop flipping cheap supposed clones of well known preamps. Save your money. Use the Xiang for 6 months or whatever while you save up then sell it. Use that money lets call it $1500-2000. Stop looking on Ebay for Chinese preamps with good user reviews and instead look at used preamps here or at USA Audiomart. Find a really good used preamp and buy it. Looking right now here are several at or below your projected budget that you could buy right now:
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649552585-herron-audio-vtsp-1a-tube-preamplifier/
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649553582-docet-lector-zoe-tube-linestage-preamp/
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649554216-audio-note-m2-phono-preamplifier-w-balance-control-and...
Those are just three examples all below $1500 that would likely kill any of the preamps you've mentioned and be a good match with your amp. Obviously in 6 months they will be gone but other good used preamps will be available.

The Xiang 728 arrived, and after 10 minutes of Faith Hill, its going back, as one buyer on ebay wrote back after i read his comment/review on the CLASS A Single Ended tube pre , which he liked, and said he once owed the Xiang and felt it was flat = no dynamics. I quickly in less than 5 minutes, agreed. 
Its a cheap chinese preamp. 
What I did discover in the session, is that the Jadis is dead quiet,,all along it was the Lite LS9 (Jadis clone) that has ground issues, which i will give  to my tech guy in baton Rouge to repair and sell in his shop, at whatever price, and he keeops some commission, + I will dump my brand new Cayin MT35 on hin to dump for whatever,,hoping for $400, paid $650+ $150 ship from china..The Xiang is going back and will put that $300 towards my final pre amp , the Class A LEAF AUDIO. 
Has 6 Leaf Audio caps, which i will swap out and place in Mundork's Supreme or Silver Oil. My Tech guy in BR liked the payout from the pic,but adds *not sure how it sounds*..also I learned from my painter who knows alittle about stereo's , says add 4 more spades on the  biwire speaker cables from the Thor, as jumping both high/low together may  not allow the FQ's/HZ's to brethe properly, besides the Jadis has  biwire posts. 
So makes sense to buy 4 more spades (which are on order) and biwire. This may have flatened the repsonse from both preamps. Regardless, it does not subtract much, both are too flat for my taste, based on my 6 yrs experience with the Jadis Orch Reference (EI KT90's)  which delivered like like vocals, sounds stage, It was like the band was playing right in   the listening room.

So the Defy is dead quiet and this is indeed grat news.
Can't reture the Xiang yet, as seller says he needs to give me a  contact code to return,,,meanwhile the Leaf Audio pre offer at $475 is gone, now its not even $499,  , lists now at $519 + $80 ship/china. 
I could wait for black Friday and get it  lower,,,,,,at this point I'll pay the $500, as my hunch says , based on both ebay buyers writing back with thumbs up, ,,,
My paypal is maxed, so I was hoping to hurry and return the Xiang,,but seems it may be another week before i can make the Leaf purchase. 
The Leaf has 2 outs, so finally i get to work in a  sub,,which arrives tomorrow, a  sub cabinet + Dayton 70 Watt RMS amp both from parts express, and a  used, excellent condition Cerwin Vega 10 inch red rubber surround as the sub.
SWEET.
I stand by my opinion the SEAS Thor kit is the finest reproducion for music.
I had the Philips 2 ways, from the early 1980's and reproduced excellent sound  in that epoch,,,but next to the Thors, I could clearly hear  their weakness.

I'll  post a  comment when the Leaf arrives. about 2/3 weeks from today. 
System will be 
Cayin CD17 has  6 6922's + new high tech opamps
Jadis Defy 7 Bugle Boys front/EH KT90's power..
Speakser Thors, will possibly add new Mundorf caps to C2 and C3 anda  new R2 resistor as per Madisound tech suggesion.
With the Leaf Audio Class A pre has  2 AU7, 2 AX7;s , both pairs  will be rolled to Bugle Boys,  + caps replaced to Mundorfs, Supreme/or Silver Oil. 
Amazing this Jadis has sat in my room, with a  sheet over it for all these years, and has no issues at all. 
This amp is most likely 15+ yrs , and is dead quiet. 
This beauty now sits on a  bench shelf, waiting for the preamp, ,,,,,finally my journey for class A sound imaging is nearing victory ,,,,I can see Mt Everest peak just over the ridge,,,,

here is a  link to the Leaf, not sure if it will load here on audiogon

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HiFi-Tube-Preamplifier-Class-A-Single-ended-XLR-Balanced-Audio-Preamp-ARC-LS22/254012527611?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908131621%26meid%3D54ce26a9163149108d69c76f8aedc39d%26pid%3D100678%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D10%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D254002285514%26itm%3D254012527611%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100678.m3607&_trkparms=pageci%3Aa768d4d4-f543-11e9-8620-74dbd180deb6%7Cparentrq%3Af69e9d4116d0a4ea9b234e0bfffbedcb%7Ciid%3A1

@mozartfan   I don't know anything about the Leaf preamp...but I do know that the little Schitt Freya+ that I suggested before is a very good preamp for the $$ ( friend owns one and drives his ARC amp beautifully!). Any reason why you would not consider the Schitt? ( except for maybe the name, LOL).