Joule says that tube rolling with 6H30s is not needed for the best sonics, and that would be welcome after I found it a virtual necessity with other preamps using 12AU7s, 6NS7s, and 5687s.
I owned LA-300 and then I moved to 450. Both are excellent and have very similar sonic signature. The difference is that 450 is better and well worth the extra cost.
Rarely, if ever I auditioned, not to mentioned, owned so musically involving components. I close my eyes and not so much musicians in my room as I am "there" in acoustic hall, fully involved into music.
I'm another owner of LA-450 ME. This is my first Joule product, but I've owned a number of different preamps before: Supratek Chenin, Cortese, Chenin MkII, Doshi Alaap, Nagra PLP, BAT Rex (on extended loan). And I have to agree with Michael moskowch and Dob- it is extremely musical and involving. I don't hear any specific "character", or coloration- it is very extended, dynamic and "just right". My current power amps are Lamm ML2.
Have not heard the 450, but owned the 150 SE - in my view the Joules, and I have to assume they are voiced pretty similarly from 150-300-450 certainly have character, it just happens to be a character I really like - all it takes is listening to something like a Lightspeed/BENT/Placette passive to notice the Joule has character and vivid tonal color - nothing wrong with that, I happen to love it - but it does not sound like the color of water IMHO.
In fact, compared it to a CAT SL1 - loved both, but the Joule seemed warmer compared with the CAT - again not a bad thing, a matter of taste - I lean towards the Joule, but both are first rate and that could change with amp/speakers used with one to the other.
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