Hi,

There are only two possible mismatches with the S&B TX-102....

1) Electrical, this applies only to sources with unusually high output impedance, generally anything below 1KOhm is fine and equally it may apply to amplifiers with unusually low input impedances which the source itself cannot drive.

2) Sonical - the system is lacking in performance in one area or another where an active preamplifier corrects the deficiency.

Given that many people deliberatly misuse preamplifiers as effect units to shape the sound of the system introducing a truely neutral preamplifier into a system balanced around a strongly "sounding" preamplifier will throw things out of balance.

I have always considered that fixing one problem by adding a different one a poor way to get a balanced performance. But as I build most of my stuff myself or at least heavily mod all my commercial gear I can afford such purism (again, as can Arthur Salvatore BTW). Anyone left to buying consumer gear, espeically if on a budget may find themselves in the unenviable position of having to find a balance any which way they can.

In the end, allowed is what people actually LIKE.

If I where asked to recomend an outstanding around £ 10K system right now I'd probably say:

MEG RL-901K Speakers

Music First PMP

Shanling CD-T100 Player (or my moded one)

The result would surprise you, I myself would certainly like it.

In halve a year it may very well be the AMR CD-Player, Integrated Amplifier and Speaker, I hope our stuff will be as good and/or better than what I mention above, it will have to be to earn the right to be in the market, actually.

Ciao T