Is the Cary SLP-05 still relavant?

I had the SLP 05 with ultimate upgrade for a few years.  It's a great preamp, maybe not the final word in transparency but certainly falls into the camp of classic tube amp (warm) sound.  It's audio jewelry, built like a tank.  I actually preferred the Schiit Freya + personally after spending months going back and forth between the two.  I was using some CBS Hytron tubes in the freya that made it sound a lot better than the stock tubes and those tubes cost almost as much as the preamp itself but it's really good for the money.  I don't think you will have a problem matching the SLP 05 to any amp.  It has a lot of gain, you won't be much over 9 O'clock on the dial with the volume.  

The stock SLP-05 sounds much better incrementally with an upgrade to a NOS GZ34 tube rectifier as well as the 6SN7 tubes.  Each move resulted in a much better sound than with the stock tubes. 

I landed on a Mullard or Mullard made f32 rectifier along with Sylvania 1950s 6SN7GTA tubes.  

If you like the way it looks take a photo because it probably won’t last. My V/U lights were constantly burning out. Customer service was rude, arrogant, stupid & expensive. I’ll never buy another Cary.

My comment from 2018:

https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/848038

@thegoldengoose you wrote in 2018

My experience with Cary’s service was so bad I never unboxed my unit. I could never recommend this brand.

Did you have trouble opening the box???  Your comment does not make sense.  

@testpilot After getting my unit back from the Ultimate Upgrade I listened to it for about a week before one V/U light burned out. I specifically told them to put in new bulbs at the time of the upgrade. Sent it back and then never re-opened the box.