Counterpoint preamps

I own an SA-3, one of the first pre's ever made by Counterpoint. I think it was made in 1983...anyway, I bought it second-hand for $350 and had Michael Elliot repair it (www.altavistaaudio.com) and it sounds excellent. The controls are old, so even after the repair there is some scratchiness while adjusting, but this is rare and on the balance and source switching so it's not too annoying. Getting to the meat of it, though, IT SOUNDS GREAT! Musical, open and airy. Good Bass, but not the deepest. If you buy an older model (like mine), have Eliott upgrade the volume control--big improvement! I use my SA-3 with a high-power solid state amp, and I find that it tames the nasties. Some of the coolness is gone and listener fatigue is reduced while playing CD's. Basically, you can do much worse than the Counterpoint, and it's pretty tough to do better--perhaps impossible given the price!

Counterpoint amps are a great value. Repairs are available via Michael Elliot the designer/founder of Counterpoint. I have owned an SA-1000/SA-12 combo for 10 years and they have been dependable, great components. They are still worth about half what I paid for them. I think that is a good testimony. Michael Elliot also performs mods.

I suggest you pass on Countpoint pre-amps. The company is out of business, repairs maybe a problem and the technology is dated. There are other used units for sale from companies that are still in business that you should consider. cheers.......

Just to let you know, I've never heard the preamps, but you don't need to worry about repairs, service, etc, because Michael Elliot, the lead designer there, has a business at ww.altavistaaudio.com where he upgrades and repairs old counterpoint gear.