Preamps waste of money?

Oh yea, I also had the Hovland HP-100 in my system.

I also auditioned the Ayre KXR preamp at a dealer. I guess I'm really not into active SS preamps. There always seems to be some residual thinness to the sound from a SS preamp, no matter how expensive, that a good tube preamp avoids. But that's just me. Others might describe the thinness as neutral, but I don't hear that in real life. I haven't heard the dartZeel, which according to some, is the cat's meow.

Dracule1,
I agree with you, thin and lean is`nt neutral, just another aberration. Real insruments and voices are full bodied and complete, not washed out and dry.For example a live tenor saxaphone sounds big and is full of tone and color.Some preamps seem to strip away the fullness and sound perhaps only 70-80% complete with less weight and presence.This is`nt a natural sound IMO.The really good tube preamps just seem to get it closer to the truth.
Regards,

Precisely charlsdad. I used to own a modded Threshold SA-30 class A amp. It did not have the thinness (still miss it), but it didnt have the harmonic richness of a good tube amp. I always feel I'm missing something with SS. Of course tube amplification has its problems too, but I rarely feel like I'm missing out on musical aspects that are important to me.

Not really a preamp is much better a very good tube unit.

going back to the original question.....you have to buy very good preamplifier (usually for $$$) to not to waste the money on it.....means really good preamplifiers are expensive but true....