First, go and listen to each preamp. With what amp are you pairing it?
Second, what sound signature are you wanting? Warmth, dynamics, resolution, soundstage, clarity, richness, etc.
Third, in my experience with PL gear, including the evo preamps the OP listed, produce boring sound. It's neither tube-ish nor solid state. It doesn't have the warmth of say a VAC pre nor the dynamics of a VTL 6.5 (highly recommended) or the ARC 5se. The ARC does not have the warmth of a VAC either.
Fourth, though there are many Kevin Deal fanboys, there are as many who consider him less than a desirable salesman. There are plenty of good and bad service reviews of upscale. There are plenty of other dealers and products that service and sell their products without the uncertainty of Kevin/upscale. I would suggest looking at VAC, VTL, and Ayre (the latter, if you're willing to try solid state). These companies don't change models nearly as frequently as ARC. That said, the 5se is excellent and its resale value will continue to be excellent. PL does not boast such high resale value.
Finally, PL products do not, imo, alter their sound signature by tube rolling. Very few new tube products offer much benefit by tube rolling other than micro differences. If tube rolling is of interest, Decware's products experience notable changes.
Goodluck in your search.
