Amen to all that. When comparing the LSA and Dude (with appropriate setup and parameters in place for a passive), the Dude just creamed it in terms of dynamics, palpability, etc. I have tried direct drive with my source which has lots of gain and a digital volume control, used the Granite Audio 657 with no pre-amp (with its built-in Alps volume control and tube buffer stage), and all fell short IMO.
The Coincident stuff looks very nice and well made. The linestage seems to focus on mechanical grounding and chassis isolation which should make for a much lower noise floor. A lot of manufacturers shirk that part.
The LSA thread is insufferable. Circular logic abounds. My favorite is "that wasn't in the original recording..." So, three dimensionality, palpability and whatnot are artifact??? Again, if you take the time to peruse the DIY sites about "optocouplers," you discover that they are not free of their own distortion and sonic signature. The idea that LDRs are a clearer window is spurious. That being said, I am sure they can sound fine in a lower resolution system relying on tube amplification.