Thoughts from Joule preamp owners?

What amps and speakers are you using with the 450?

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.

Maril555, you have me curious. I have always been interested in trying a Joule pre-amp. How might you compare the Suprateks to the Joule 450 ME? I know the Joule is in another league price wise but I have always been interested in the sonic differences. I have a Syrah and it is just a steal in my experience with preamps for all it offers, I still love this pre-amp.

I too have heard the all Joule/Merlin set-up at an audio show in NYC many years back which I throughly enjoyed, you just didn't want to leave.

Like you've said- Joule is in a different league, not only price- wise, but also sonically. It is much more refined and musical. Better bass extension, significantly better treble extension and it is more dynamic, as well.
I have 108 dB system, and Joule is DEAD quiet. Unfortunately Supratek is not. With a less sensitive speakers, it might not be such an issue.