Preamplifier power supply


Hi folks, should a preamplifier have a BIG (that is: an overkill power supply) to sound dynamic and authoritative? I'm asking this because some experts would say "yes" while others would say "no". Recently a well known audio journalist (Anthony Cordesmann?) said that the preamplifier doesn't have to have a big power supply because it doesn't have to deliver lots of energy (in the form of current). A preamplifier can sound "dynamic" even with very modest power supply --> for example the built in preamplifier in the Benchmark DAC. But some manufacturers rely on a truly overkill power supply in their reference preamplifiers: MBL, First Sound Audio, BAT, VTL, LAMM, Mark Levinson. So who is right?

Chris
dazzdax
if the preamp has a phono section yes. if not, no.
The reason is that all the signals coming into a line stage are ALREADY at a high level, and the pre is really only attenuating them, and selecting the input. Thus some use only an attenuator as a pre, or no pre at all.
On the otherhand, a pre with a phono section actually IS amplifying the signal a lot from the tiny cart output.
The only other time a big power supply in a pre might help is when a big mismatch between the impedance matching of the source to pre, or pre to amp exists. (then the hefty power might cover the problem.