whats a more detailed preamp

I don't think of the word "detail" when I think of Conrad-Johnson. Their stuff has always seemed more about suffusing the sound into a more seamless package, which often comes at the expense of detail, at least to me.

BTW, I'm a total detail weirdo, and if you're looking at tube preamps that deliver detail (and you don't mind chancing a second-hand piece from a defunct company), you might consider Melos. They got a bad rap in the amateur review literature for having lousy customer service, but their stuff seems to fit the bill of what you're looking for.

I've owned C-J in the past and think it has good detail, but it's got a golden sonic overlay and others are more transparent and less colored. Of those on you list, I'd say Hovland, but I haven't heard a Hovland in several years.

Off you list, you knew this was coming, look at the Jeff Rowland Design Group Capri. Yes, I said Capri. It'll save you a ton of money and it'll meet or beat all you listed candidates in transparency and effortless detail. See Guidocorona's review elsewhere in A'gon, where he favorably compares the Capri to his ARC Ref 3. Don't let the low cost and small size set you back, that chassis is solid billet aircraft aluminium.

Dave

By far the most detailed, dynamic, and musical preamp I've experienced is the Audio Horizons TP2.1 tube preamp.

This tube preamp is also more controlling and well-defined at the frequency extremes than all of the solid state preamps I've previously owned and by a good margin.

It's also fast as all git out.

-IMO

Second the Audio Horizons,if you want a pre amp that has that 'Je ne sois quoi' this is the one.Check the AH thread,we can't all be wrong.