Bet it will sound better than any "high end" preamp.The value of the bet being how much you paid for this... The 6BL7 is a nice tube, but with only one the circuit possibilities are limited. But in the right situation it should sound quite nice.
Hi end tube preamps, it’s all about functionality!!
So most preamps over $10 grand all sound very good. But functionality varies widely and a challenge to readily figure out.
some remotes don’t turn on unit, some leave tubes on while watching tv/movies assuming they have ht bypass functionality, some turn off avr when change is made to stereo listening (McIntosh), some use 3 tubes and some use 8 tubes, volume control process differences, power supply being external or internal, and many more feature variations.
it is a mess. The marketplace over time will make a buying decision abit easier as brands soon learn that the avr/stereo integration is a very important market and ease of use along with running costs need to be considered more carefully.
some remotes don’t turn on unit, some leave tubes on while watching tv/movies assuming they have ht bypass functionality, some turn off avr when change is made to stereo listening (McIntosh), some use 3 tubes and some use 8 tubes, volume control process differences, power supply being external or internal, and many more feature variations.
it is a mess. The marketplace over time will make a buying decision abit easier as brands soon learn that the avr/stereo integration is a very important market and ease of use along with running costs need to be considered more carefully.