I'm going to have to take my previous statement back.
Running from a line source into both pre-amps ( with the line out set to output -21dB into both of them ), then using both pre-amps to get back to line level is an amazing experience.
I realize now how much my ears completely suck, and how much working with these pre-amps will improve them.
BOTH the VP26 and MP73, in that particular application, sound like wire with gain, if not run into their clipping range ( and what a huge range it is before they get there.... ).
Honestly, I can't find a hint of signature on either aside from the fact I like the sound of both more than the original signal. There is something I can't identify there that both do to the sound. The clarity that is partially hidden in the digital source is revealed and smoothed and gooed together even so slightly, yet, seemingly in contradiction, but not; the transients sound more in your face, the bass has more presence, blah, blah, blah.
But both of them seem to do "basically the same thing". They make audio better, even though it's a tiny tiny amount of better, it's still better. As for the difference between them, so far, I can't hear one, that's how insanely good they are. No noise, no hiss, no background noise, not even any distortion that I can hear - truly and honestly, they sound like gain producing cables with some magic sauce in there too. I'm gobsmacked....
I'll have to rethink that summation after hearing them through a microphone with a live vocalist ( which I am doing this weekend ), but with the only source I have, it's too hard to split them.
For someone who has been used to upper-level consumer gear previously, these devices are both a total revelation ( insanely awesome ). I can't recommend either one enough.
Once you put them into the clipping range, the difference to me is that the VP26 sounds like there is more going on in the mid-range during clipping and for the MP73 that there's more going on in the low bass and hi treble, with the mid-range largely surviving in tact. I can hear in that application why people say that the VP26 is more of a rock pre, as you can hear that in the clipping range. But I won't really be operating them in that region anyway.
I know that doesn't help, but it's what I heard. Clearly you need an opinion from someone with better ears ;-)
