$15 dollar Lazarus tube preamp


I recently purchased a used "Lazarus cascade basic" tube pre-amp...I paid $15 dollars for the item...was it a good buy???...also, whats the difference between a regular amp vs. tube???
novice
Novice, I used to own a Lazarus like the one you have , about 15 years ago. I bought it new, for about 600-dollars. It is a wonderful sounding preamp!!--For the money. You got a great deal, I would replace the set of tubes in it right away with new ones. In short----many Hi-end audiophiles believe that tubes sound better than solid state gear. (as I do). If you need anymore- info- feel free to E-mail me.
Good buy? No, you got a great buy! How can one be hurt anytime you buy any "real" preamp for $15? If it works(I assume it does), you have just entered the wonderful world of tubes. Want to change the sound? Change the tubes. Assuming the are only a few tubes in your new baby, you get a new sound for less than $50 every time. You can have tight, extended sound, or "classic" warm tube sound. Just go out, and read the sites that are tube heavy, someone is always doing somee kind of tube shootout. If you're looking for a recommendation, all I can say is if I were there, I'd pay that $15 any day of the week. Have a great time with it, and good luck!