sunfire classic vacuum tube preamp

The price may have to do with options. The phono stage was a very rare option and few were made with it. The other only option was a remote. So, if you see one with both a phono and remote then $2,500 is about what they are going for. 

One without out those options should be about a grand or so cheaper.
I bought one when they first came out, without the phono stage and at that time the remote wasn't even an option.

I still have it, matter of fact Joseph Chow of Audio Horizons fame is in the process of completely rebuilding it and modifying it to make it the ultimate Sunfire pre! Cutf V caps, Elma 47 step attenuator, tube regulated power supply etc...

I've loved mine for many years and they are well built and work. Nothing real hard or impossible to fix or repair. I think it was one of the all time sleepers in audio.

Actually he closed it and gave all the equipment to Bill Flannery, a former tech at Sunfire. From his site "As they say, all good things must come to an end eventually. In August of 2011, after several years of successful business, Rita's Vintage Audio was closed.

This was one of the saddest days of my life, but as it turns out, there was a silver lining to this cloud. Bob was willing to GIVE me all the equipment I needed to start my own shop!!! His only request was that I continue to provide quality service to all those loyal customers who needed to have their vintage Sunfire equipment repaired. I heartily agreed and the rest is history. I am now the proud owner of Flannery's Vintage Audio. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need help."

More information here:

http://www.flannerysvintageaudio.com

@czarivey

That shop you mentioned is owned or operated by a guy named Roland. They are the service center Bob Carver recommends for original Carver Corp. equipment.

I’m not sure why you’d say they are scammers. They have a good reputation for repair and modding the 1.5’s..