I like tube preamp plus ss amp!!!

[RGA]

RGA...dont forget, I have the Rotel RC 1090....the big brother to your 1082 so I do know how good it is. But the Vincent SA-T1 best it. But I guest its not a fair comparison seeing one is SS and the other is tube. And you are right...the Rotel has an excellent onboard phono preamp. Which ARC preamp are you talking about?

The ARC was an old SP something - I can't remember if it was 7 or 9 but it was tube. To be honest I've never really been a big fan of what I have heard from ARC over the years but it may just have been the other gear.

[poppachubby]

For a while I had a SS pre with my tube amp. The results were great so I then picked up my Bozak which took it up another notch still. Super quiet background, great detail and I found the sound to have a crispness to it.

Once I found my tube pre and had it hot rodded, I thought that it HAD to be better than my Bozak. I think overall it probably is, BUT the Bozak offers some qualities that the EICO does not. I have decided I don't need to like one better than the other. I haven't yet, but if the mood strikes me I will roll in the Bozak for the fun of it.

Vive la difference.