Hovland HP-100 vs. CAT SL1 Ultimate: Feedback


The Hovland HP-100 and CAT Ultimate are similarly priced, full-functioned, w. phono MC section pre-amps. How do their respective performances differ?

Any problems?
Any other full-featured, w MC phono pre's to suggest (Limit: $6500 retail)?
I favor tubed pre's. Remote not important. Need tape/record loop.

Looking for direct, controlled comparisons. Long time use with both units (but not necessarily at the same time) may also prove helpful. Feedback please.
kalan
Verybigamp/Romy: If the kinds of pre-amps we've been discussing are easily dismissed as so much "...mass-market black boxes 'for kids'." or "...typical Audiogon's coca-cola.", what is your solution to pre-amplification?

You make provocative statements but do not offer the obvious: the counter recommendation. What is your stake in any of this? Are you a manufacturer of competing products or something?
Yes Verybigamp, please enlighten us! There are many brands which you named which I don't like, but I know what I do like. If there are any products which you think are not mass market black boxes. please let us know and why you think they are not coca cola. To get Ken Stevens really mad is not very difficult. If you are nice and tell us what you are talking about, I will post a link to an incident where a customer really made Ken furious by pushing the man's buttons. Maybe it was you! It seems you like to push buttons.
Sorry, Kalan.

My thinking about audio is too radical, too multifarious and too advanced to be able hosted at this site. Any more or less valuable comments I made (and that were greatly appreciated by people to whom I forwarded them) were rejected by the audiogon administration. So, cursing around you have to stick to the Mikelavigne’s coca-cola-like self-afraid intelligence…. this is the purpose of this site.

Rgs,
Romy the Cat