I've tried the DCC2 pre section against a number of separate preamps--most of them tubed--including some from Audio Research, BAT, CAT, Atma-Sphere, and a couple of others, and in each case, the tubed units had a little more of that "body" that tubes are famous for, but I always went back to the DCC2 for its superior transparency and clarity. The DCC2 is one of the most neutral and revealing components I've ever heard, and I can see why some people might want to add some tube warmth and color to that sound, but personally I like it the way it is. To each, his/her own, I guess. FWIW, the only preamp that I consider clearly superior to the DCC2 is the upcoming DarTZeel pre (release hopefully in late September), which I heard at CES. That thing is downright staggering and will likely set a benchmark to which most preamps will aspire.