Recently joined to this forum and just find this thread. First, let me thank You for this excellent software! My setup is a simple watch case holder with a piezo directly connected to my laptop. No amplification at all. There is a nice application called "Equalizer APO" where i can set the desired filters and gain to get excellent signal/noise ratio without preamp. You can see my settings for the ideal equalization. BTW, this one is a really silent watch