After two weekend listening sessions, I now have about 25 hours on the Raven. I can honestly say this is my final preamp. sjsfiveo described the preamp as blacker backgrounds, greater detail, quieter and the sense that the music just floating around me. Him, like me, had a Don Sachs preamp before the Raven. I'm in 100% agreement with his review. In fact, the sense of the music floating around was the first thing I noticed when I played it in my system for the first time. The Raven is very transparent. It captures the nuances and subtleties of the music ensuring a lifelike and immersive listening experience. Even though I tell myself on a daily basis to stop spending money on audio gear, I'm 100% happy with my decision to buy the Raven. Now, I wish I had the funds to get the Blackbirds!!