Oh, one last thing Kevin, should you happen to see this; twice now you’ve mentioned this six-position testing regimen. What in the hell does that have to do with anything? Do gravitational forces effect electrons flowing through a piece of kit? Now you sound like one of those self-proclaimed space/aerocraft engineers! These are NOT chronometers! (I am a watch guy too). Oh, I lied. One more thing-by state of the art standards, Alps Blue Velvet volume controls are universally viewed as mediocre/undesirable. With any pre-amp, the volume control is absolutely critical.
Factories charged with making electronics, especially for aerospace and defense industries, not only rotate them to make sure every solder joint is perfect but will also put them into "shaker" machines to make sure they stand up to vibration. In fact shaker machines back in the old days used 6550 and KT88 power tubes!!
As to the Alps Blue Velvet, it’s an EXCELLENT part. Period. I suggest you look at how they measure, and read the comments of Stereophile Editor In Chief John Atkinson when he benches PrimaLuna products that use them.
In his last review of the HP integrated he said:
"Balance remained within .25dB and the frequency response didn’t change. The DiaLogue Premium obviously uses a high-quality part for its volume control"
Have you learned about the volume control of the new preamp you are buying? I’m sure it’s fine and should be a step up from what they use in the VSI75, which is the Analog Devices AD5293 http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Analog-Devices/AD5293BRUZ-50-RL7/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMuD%2f7PTYBwKqdeb0...
Of course the best volume control is a stepped attenuator. Got that. But then you have steps and no remote (unless you go with one of the new super tweaky ones).
The message is this: The Blue Velvet measures well and lasts, and it’s not a chip. Using the AD5293 would be less expensive. But PrimaLuna wanted the best sound and I think what they have supplied is pretty damn nice...especially in a preamp weighing 37.5lbs that is dual-mono, tube rectified, with point to point wiring. For $2199.
I too collect watches. Hard core. And I think that many people dream of owning a Rolex. Rolex makes a good, serviceable watch. And the company has done an excellent job of marketing "the dream" and most important...controlling the ability of their dealers to make a profit through careful handling of distribution.
But if you open a Rolex, and talk to a real horologist that knows watch movements, you will see that Rolex is machine and mass produced more than most brands. To an incredibly high standard. But a serious watch collector would never compare them to a Patek, Lange, Jaeger, and the other brands where the movements are finished as works of living art. Having said that I’m wearing a Rolex Submariner right now! I love it. But I don’t kid myself about what’s inside. I know I’m paying for the prestige.
Audio is often times like watches. The price is determined not by the engineering and build costs, but by how much they think they can charge and not have them sit unsold on a shelf. It’s completely arbitrary. That’s why I keep harping on using Google Images to look inside any given product so people can see for themselves and count up the parts. Anybody can do it. None of these parts cost that much, except transformers.