smandlej- I have the Townshend Allegri Reference (upgraded from the "standard" Allegri). This was well reviewed by Martin Colloms of Hi-Fi Critic and Raphael Todes of Allegri String Quartet fame, the latter uses the Bartok and found the Reference worked far better for volume control/sound quality. I believe both reviewers now own and use the Refernce in their own systems.
This unit requires no expensive mains lead or support as it incorporates Max's podium style feet, but you could use one of Max's platforms as well.
From my perspective, this is the most important element of my system, and using it is like upgrading all my source components in one go !! It does require a substantial run-in period and benefits from balanced interconnects between pre and power. Martin uses solid state (Naim) whilst Rapheal uses valves - it works well with either - see millercarbon's post above.
Good to know. It has been quite a few years since I really dug into this subject. Was really interested in improving my integrated amp which at the time one was using trim pots the other a stepped attenuator, neither one a true preamp just a volume control. The more I learned the more clear it became that transformers are the way to go.
That was a long time ago so I forget all the technical electrical reasons. But the real reason they've been forgotten is my memory tends to low prioritize the moot point. Because ultimately there will always be someone willing to throw enough time and effort and money at it to solve that part of the problem.
The one they can't solve is the seemingly simple volume control. For that they always fall back on a resistor of some sort. Trim pot, variable resistor, stepped attenuator- whatever you want to call it is just a resistor used to control volume. These things are inherently lossy and noisy and problematic.
Transformers on the other hand, where resistors have problems transformers have benefits. There is a reason after all why we use them all over the place for isolation and power conditioning.
But I gave up on transformers because a) hard (read, expensive) to find good ones and b) even harder to find one with all the taps needed to make a good volume control, and then c) you still need a lot of really high quality switches.
But yeah, like you say, eliminates an expensive power cord, can be incredibly transparent, and passive, so slight gain in not adding any field noise to the system.
I read the Colloms and Todes reviews, thanks. In the nearly 30 years since I looked into it there must have been a hundred thousand preamp questions and discussions. Yet I could count on my fingers the times transformers have been discussed. This kind of thing deserves a lot more mention and attention. Transformers, I mean.