D’Agostino progression preamp

Was about to award steampunk points. But is steampunk a plus or a minus?

Unless you are a high-roller you can do a lot better for less - an Audio Research Ref One or Two would be my choices!

It looks a bit like Nagra. Perhaps you are paying more for build quality and looks(which is an acquired taste) , rather than sound quality. I’m not sure if the Progression will sound significantly better than other options in the same price range but it may well appear to sound better than it really should if you love the design with cute little meters on the front panel.