What's your "diminishing returns" preamp choice?

I use a Passive DIY built clone of a Music First Baby reference, which is excellent for detail and transparency, but lacks the last bit of slam and dynamics.

This quote by David12 is something I have heard many others say about passives and is consistent with what I personally hear from the two resistor-based passives I own.

I have owned some 20'ish preamps in the $3-10K price range, including many of which are still current models. For me, the merry-go-round stopped with my McCormack TLC-1 that Steve McCormack at SMc Audio upgraded/rebuilt with the single goal of providing the best sound possible. It is now a zero-gain, balanced, buffered-active preamp with an outboard choke power supply, Lundahl transformers, Jensen copper foil caps and a Shallco discrete-resistor volume control with Audio Note resistors. It has a new black faceplate and is pictured on the SMc Audio website and on my A'gon virtual system page. It just kills every other preamp I have owned. I highly recommend you give Steve a call and discuss your options. One of the best audio purchases I have made.

I can list off preamps up to 8K that couldn't hold a candle to my LDR at 1/8 the price.

Shakey

I recently purchased an Ayre K5xe-MP here on Agon and absolutely love it. I was playing my CH Precision C1 dac direct into my CH Precision A1 amp and it sounded great, but with the Ayre there's a slight sweetening of the sound with no or little loss of air and dynamics playing the C1 direct. I think the K5xe-MP is a steal even at full list.

cj ET5

I am very impressed with the new $3k model from Backert Labs. Think they will have it at Capitol Audio Fest. Cheers,

Spencer