j0shbd, I'm in the process of building a Bottlehead preamp. Not done, so can't comment on the sound. Transcendent Sound might be another DIY option for you. I ordered a book from them, "Audio Reality," and it's straightforward no-nonsense approach to audio. SET amp is under 800 unassembled. Just a thought.

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"Nothin' up my sleeve. . ." --Bullwinkle J. Moose