Hi Rich! I have to agree with Jfrech that the lo is (from what I've heard) a great phono pre-amp. I have not heard either of the two that you are interested in (the Bat and Manley). I am also interested in the Manley Steelhead, so I will follow this thread to see how you proceed and what you find.
I currently have a Rhea and I am quite happy with it. What I find MOST useful about the Rhea is the flexibility of the gain and load settings (especially the load).
Believe me there is a difference when I switch the loads on the Rhea. I can dial in the right (to me) sound that I like. The Manley is also very flexiable. I am not sure about the Bat, however.
Good luck and keep us posted!!!
I currently have a Rhea and I am quite happy with it. What I find MOST useful about the Rhea is the flexibility of the gain and load settings (especially the load).
Believe me there is a difference when I switch the loads on the Rhea. I can dial in the right (to me) sound that I like. The Manley is also very flexiable. I am not sure about the Bat, however.
Good luck and keep us posted!!!