The volume control of the LA4 is maybe the best I have heard. It does click so that is a no go for many but I look at it as a feature and not a bug. The quietness of the LA4 is what separates the LA4 from the 07x. The Benchmark DAC3 HSC (a preamp + DAC) sounded better connected to the quieter LA4 preamp. I sold the DAC3 HSC when I was on that merry-go-round.
The gain on the individual LA4 inputs can be set separately for each input. That feature is referred to as BOOST on the menu.
I was considering buying the HOLO Audio Serene preamp for my second system. It measures a little better than the LA4 and is slightly warmer. There is a review comparing both and also a forum thread about it on Computer Audiophile. However, I decided to stick with a second LA4 because I know it works the way I like and the form factor is also better than the Serene for my needs.
I plan on a $2.5K LA4 preamp + $2.5K used Musetec 005 + $36.5K KRELL KSA i400 amp to drive KEF BLADE 2 Meta. This system will be amazing to my ears, since I have owned this before with the lower end KRELL and KEF LS50 Meta.
BTW - that push button feature of the 07x volume control was a bit of a pain because my wife’s dog liked to hang with in my office late at night, and he would bump into that volume and change the way the volume worked.
