Jmcgrogan2 , I have been unable to try CT1's between amp and pre as my power amp is balanced inputs only , however , I did find a big difference when using it on my cd player and phono stage , some have said that the best improvements are gained by using the cable ( at least initially ) early in the chain , while I have seen some other posts that state the biggest improvement was with the speaker cables . Like anything , it would be system dependent and also what cables are being substituted . I have one friend who tried CT1E and after initially being enthusiastic he eventually found the cable to introduce some long term listening fatigue and decided to stay with his Kondos , which aren't exactly a lower tier cable .