Kevin, First Sound is a highly regarded company that makes only preamps. Try a google search. There are a couple of reviews. Also, look in the archives here and on Audio Asylum. There are three models available. I have the Presence Deluxe MkII. I have only compared it to the VTL 5.5 and the VTL 2.5. I found it considerably more appealing than either of them. I found the review's description of its sonic qualities accurate in my system. It worked very well with my old VTL MB-450s. None of the First Sounds come with a remote. Used, my model is 2,000 to $2,500. I just saw their best model, the Ultimate Paramount, for sale at $5,850. It retails for 15k. Emmanuel Go, the designer/owner of FS, is very easy to reach and recently offered a free upgrade for earlier models. I called him before I bought mine. He was quite helpful diagnosing whether his product would work well with my gear. Like Kevin Hayes at VAC, he is very friendly and more than happy to help.
