Linear Tube Audio version 3 of the MicroZOTL pre

@audioman58 That is strange.  I would be very frustrated as well.  I bought mine used and it is about 2 years old, so I can't be too upset. 

With the right tubes, it sounds great.  I doubt that I will upgrade mine.  Maybe if it was $1000, or so, but not $2k.  I just can't imagine that it's that much better...

You will not believe the answer I received from LTA , they purposely deceived me 

as being the absolute latest , they said it was a spur of the moment thing 

a blatant Lie, lots of months previously  had to be planned drawings circuit boards testing at least 6 months previously , I waited 6 weeks after the holidays 

I would have gladly waited another month ,and for onky $200 difference 

to have any integrity ,I should have been at least given the option . 
they just wanted to use up older parts ,it’s still a very good preamp  but the new one much better still , considering I have bought 3 pieces of electronics from them and referred others to them integrity and loyalty is That  too much too ask , ? What’s next I would be blamed if it stopped working .

I am very dissapointing  if that is their response just pass the Buck , I will sell it and never do business with them ,that was very unprofessional , and a very underhanded thing to do .I am almost 67;and I told them this would be my end game preamp . I will let you know if they do the right thing ,or not ,and send you their answer why they didnot let me know .

@wrm57 LTA has never offered truly balanced gear. It was just transformers to make it compatible. Not sure how big of a deal it is though.

Please see this response , I ordered my preamp just before Christmas mind you little was being done until After New years . any major upgrade would be known Months in advance between designing and testing layouts , then ordering New custom Circuit boards . My preamp was not even built until a month after the new year. I wil be 67 having disabilities from the service and old age had to retire 

I picked this as my retirement end game preamp and asked specifically if there was any upgrades That could be had , No . Please see below the answer I received yesterday , mind you after new years they could have reached out and told me for only $200 more get the mk3 build but would be an additional month or so . I waited 6 weeks to get the old one .my order was not even on the table  the first 3 weeks in Jan . I have other preamps at home . Is this an ethical way to Run what I consider a fine audio company at LTA Audio I have purchased 3 products from them and referred others to them . This is my loyalty reward , To fellow Audiophiles ,taking into consideration my unit was not even in process yet ,my Age , loyalty ,and disabilities , how would you take this excuse sent to you by Email ,I don’t think New Years cheer woud be on your tongue. Mark Schneider is the head designer .I didnot have the opportunity to speak with him . Just give me the left over parts and now send your unit in and an additional $1150 we will take care of you , a Very low blow even more so when I Donot have a disposable income , please do see this not so truthful response below. I still have Faith that LTA is a company of integrity and will do the Honorable thing ,which should have been offered to me after the long holiday break . Please see ⬇️ Below.
 

At the time of receiving your order, in late December, we did not know that we would be offering the upgrade. As I said, we were strongly considering making the minimal required changes in order to keep the MZ Preamp as Level 2. Because we had already tested similar changes for a different product, we were lucky in being able to release the new version more quickly than would have been typical. 

Again, I am sorry that the timing of the situation seems unfavorable to you. When you make a new version of a product, a dividing line must be set. You happened to be just before that line, which means you received exactly what you ordered without unexpected delays. Any orders we received in January, February, or March were met with an uncertain lead time and we are still a few days from shipping the first Level 3 units. Over two months seems like a fair buffer time.Best, Will .

Hey, this is Will from LTA. audioman58 already posted the most relevant part of our email exchange, but I would be happy to share more of it or answer any questions about the development and timing of the Level 3, the cost of the upgrade, his discounted upgrade cost, or any other relevant subject.

We try to develop and release things in ways that will reduce customer annoyance, but we cannot please everyone. I also believe strongly in being transparent and straightforward in my communication, so it is disappointing that audioman58 continues to believe that he is being deceived. I hope he is able to continue to enjoy his Level 2 preamp, which remains a product that we take pride in.