Curl or Pass

I would also recommend Herron, occasionally come up used around your budget. Check with Herron dealers; they may offer a discount on new units.

I like both, but IMHO neither attains the level of Curl's older Vendetta design (I don't believe that the parts are available to replicate those, although a variant was used in the CTC Blowtorch preamp.

@wspohn wrote:

"I like both, but IMHO neither attains the level of Curl's older Vendetta design (I don't believe that the parts are available to replicate those, although a variant was used in the CTC Blowtorch preamp."  

Completely agree.  JC's Vendetta series are very good.  Might be his life's very best work. 

Some of the FET-based designs suffer from short-cuts in the modern FET manufacturing process.  

I had a Mark Levinson JC 1 or 2, whgichever was battery powered.  I kept my Audire, but the other was equally as good.  I don't think anyone should be anal enough to worry about either designer.  They are both excellent, but Probably Nelson.  He has a great attitude.  Of course JC designed the crossovers and controls for the greatest system ever:  Google:  Dead's Wall of Sound, Images.  30+ McIntosh amps and zillions of dedicated JBL drivers, including a separate system for each of the five bass strings.  Nearly unmeasureable IM distortion, even from the speakers. 

Another XP-15 owner here -- I've had mine for ~3 years now, and it's definitely a keeper.

On a side note, I have read the XP-17 replacement is a bit quieter still, but also a shade cooler. Take that for what you will.

I would not trade my XP-15 for a JC3+, though I am sure it's also a very good phono preamp.

Do I still lust for a Herron Audio VTPH-2A? Absolutely.

Will I get one? Probably...