Only half an answer. I was looking to replace an ARC LS25mkll with an X1 or Capri. I found a Capri at a good price, hooked it up and stopped looking. Also added the outstanding internal phono stage.
Pass X1 and Rowland Capri Preamps
if you've owned or heard both of these preamps, i'd love to hear your impressions of how they compare. i'm looking for a pre and have narrowed it down to these two, however, haven't seen any comparisons that mention how they sound.