Keep in mind, there are no right or wrong solutions here but rather what the Op likes. We could give scientific measurements from now on (don't think for a minute they are not appreciated) but you already know it really comes down to what the OP perceives as the best sound, at least to his ears. Apparently he likes the dynamics of an active preamp ( like his L1) but again I would consider the McCormack passive preamps as an alternative for greater dynamics.
The audible Illusions L1 offers a really good sound for the price and for some reason much of the competition in its price range don't come close. Yes they can be a bit hard on tubes. When I had mine I ran the same tubes for two years without failure but most of you know that many of the NOS tubes are not durable enough to last without premature failure. So it really comes down to using durable tubes or at least what is recommended by the mfg. Another thing to consider is that even though you might turn the power off the tubes are still lite at a lower voltage .
The audible Illusions L1 offers a really good sound for the price and for some reason much of the competition in its price range don't come close. Yes they can be a bit hard on tubes. When I had mine I ran the same tubes for two years without failure but most of you know that many of the NOS tubes are not durable enough to last without premature failure. So it really comes down to using durable tubes or at least what is recommended by the mfg. Another thing to consider is that even though you might turn the power off the tubes are still lite at a lower voltage .