Desiring to get a decent sound for decent money (aka bang for the buck)I built two of the preamp units from analogmetric.com. I would say they embody the essence of the originals without being direct knockoffs. First I built their version of the Grounded Grid preamp. It had a nice quality sound but lacked a certain richness and low end for my taste. Perhaps nicer for orchestra and some vocals.
I sold the GG board on ebay and started again with the JP200 kit. I have no way to compare to the original, but I am VERY VERY happy with the sound. What impresses me is the richness of the sound and the dimension and detail across the soundstage. A definite upgrade IMO from the GG amp and another manufactured tube preamp from HK that I had been using. It's like my system stepped up to the audio quality I was wanting, and for a minimal investment. I didn't have need to try the Marantz 7 board so I can't comment about that one.
I can't imagine anyone could gripe about the audio results of the JP200, especially after spending less than $400 to give it a try. My two cents.
I sold the GG board on ebay and started again with the JP200 kit. I have no way to compare to the original, but I am VERY VERY happy with the sound. What impresses me is the richness of the sound and the dimension and detail across the soundstage. A definite upgrade IMO from the GG amp and another manufactured tube preamp from HK that I had been using. It's like my system stepped up to the audio quality I was wanting, and for a minimal investment. I didn't have need to try the Marantz 7 board so I can't comment about that one.
I can't imagine anyone could gripe about the audio results of the JP200, especially after spending less than $400 to give it a try. My two cents.