I have the Alana along with a couple of their amps. I love mine. The 6922 tube, the Alana uses, is a great tube to roll so you should be able to dial in a sound you like.
I'd like to share this with you in case you get a new one. Mine was new and I like it enough that I have kept it for over a year. I still had another pre (solid state) that was my absolute favorite but I liked switching back and forth. Tubes always seem to do something special. I know I must have a couple hundred hrs on the Alana already but this last month I got some NOS Amperex and Siemens. Now it is the best preamp I have heard. I don't know if it was the tubes or putting another hundred hrs on those Lundahl transformers but I'm real happy with it now. Point is, give it time. Even though it's good out of the box, it seems to just keep getting better.
I'd like to share this with you in case you get a new one. Mine was new and I like it enough that I have kept it for over a year. I still had another pre (solid state) that was my absolute favorite but I liked switching back and forth. Tubes always seem to do something special. I know I must have a couple hundred hrs on the Alana already but this last month I got some NOS Amperex and Siemens. Now it is the best preamp I have heard. I don't know if it was the tubes or putting another hundred hrs on those Lundahl transformers but I'm real happy with it now. Point is, give it time. Even though it's good out of the box, it seems to just keep getting better.