How much do I need to spend to get a preamp that sounds better than no preamp?

@tweak1 
I'm looking at the "Hattor Audio Ultimate "The Big" Passive Preamp with XLR" and it's got heatsinks. Just saying....

@kosst_amojan

I always scratch my head at "passives" with big heatsinks.

@tweak1
I read your other post and looked at the manufacturer's site. It's pretty obvious that it's being buffered. Given the heatsinks, the constant input impedance, and the fact it takes an hour+ to warm up, it's certainly got active devices in the signal path. Passives don't have parts that warm up or need heatsinks.

@tweak1
I'm looking at the "Hattor Audio Ultimate "The Big" Passive Preamp with XLR" and it's got heatsinks. Just saying....

I always scratch my head at people that have zero clue about business. Maybe look up economies of scale. Just saying... 😉

Posted this up on the wrong thread, it was meant to be here.

These are two Hattor’s.
Passive, which I believe you have, which what looks to be Kozmho switched volume control, which I believe is a fixed series resistor and variable ones to ground, which will vary it’s i/o impedance’s at different volume levels, best to me is ladder ones, where the series and shunt resistors work in opposites to each other to give a more constant I/O impedance
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=145833.0

And the active buffered Hattor which used an opamp.
http://mockingbirddistribution.mockingbirddistr.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Hattor-Min...

Here are some different ways of doing a volume control, quad matched ldr is a ladder
https://www.stereo.net.au/forums/uploads/monthly_2018_06/Capture.JPG.93bbd2ce49060300b06abfd1a62ce8f...

Just found their site, they have an extensive range, of what looks to be well made products, including a tube one
http://www.hattor.com/index2.html#ultimate

Cheers George

About $3 - 4 K on the used market

What exactly do economies of scale have to do with heatsinks? This is just one more of those companies that bolt their circuits into superfluously over-wrought chassis and passes the expense on to you?