Hi Jim,
Preamps date from the phono era, where the tiny signals from the cartridge needed almost thousandfold amplification before a power amp could deal with them. Since the recording process on a record attenuates the bass and accentuates the treble, an equalization process (called the 'RIAA') is needed as well, and this greatly complicates the design. So, preamps were complex beasts.
Then, in 1983, along came the CD player. The output is typically 2Vpp, a HUGE output by phono standards, and it needs no equalization. People were very pleased; they could throw away their preamps, and just connect the CD output via a volume control to the amp. Wunderbar!!
But, a problem remained. Many of the new CD afficionados had tape recorders, tuners, even a few phonos remained, and they wanted source selection as well. This clearly was a task formerly done by a preamp!
The Japanese manufacturers obliged by producing integrated amplifiers, which combined source selection, some gain for a phono or tuner if needed, with their power amps. But the price of this convenience was quality, and the really serious high end manufacturers scoffed at this approach, continuing to produce only power amps and preamps as separate components.
We now enter into religious belief zones; preamps have since been found to have several strange qualities which are worth having.
1. Preamps are no longer used ostensibly for gain, but rather as source selectors and volume controls.
2. Preamps can be made with vacuum tubes, little ones, which last twenty years, not like the big bottles on power amps which need frequent replacement. Vacuum tubes confer sonics which are unique. They sound like - ahem - vacuum tubes, and nothing can quite emulate them. For this reason, the tube preamp can also be considered as an analogue sound processor.
3. A good preamp will also enhance imaging, and bring vocals to the front, while de-emphasizing instrumental backing. This makes the presentation more natural, more believable, and thus more satisfying.
4. In this digital age, gain is no longer strictly required, though many manufacturers include gain just to make the point you are not wasting your money!! The Bottlehead Foreplay has considerable gain, around 12dB as I recall. But the GK1 has vestigial gain, around 2dB, while the TLP drops in gain, around 0.92, or -0.75dB. With the AKSA power amps, this is never a problem, as the gain of these amps is set high at 32dB to account for use of passive preamps.
In closing, yes, the TLP is a very good candidate for your purposes. There are two versions, the stocker at $AUD340, and the Nirvana upgrade at $AUD410. This component was the basis for further development resulting in the GK1, so it's pretty good quality. A couple of people here, most notably PSP (hi Peter!), have both the GK1 and the TLP and can give you a short comparison if you are interested in more information.
And I'll say it again, 'NOTHING SOUNDS QUITE LIKE A VACUUM TUBE'.
Cheers,
Hugh
