The Foreplay is an exceptional bargain. While it is a kit, it is remarkably easy to assemble; as noted in the review, there are also a staggering number of (mostly very inexpensive) improvements / additions that raise the level of performance to something very impressive. I have two systems, and the preamp in my main stereo is a Rowland Coherence. Does the Foreplay compare favorably? To be honest, they're in different leagues -- but considering the extraordinary difference in cost, that's no surprise. Still, the Foreplay demonstrates a little-recognized axiom: the cost of the parts in an exotic audio component represents a very small percentage of its retail price. You provide the labor, there is virtually no advertising budget for the consumer to subsidize, and the Foreplay doesn't come with a 3/8" thick front panel (though you could source one if you wanted). The net of it is that the Foreplay ends up sounding like audiophile components at least half a dozen times more expensive.
And it's damn fun to put together.
And it's damn fun to put together.