Counterpoint SA-5000 or First Sound Presence Pre

S23chang i think you are lucky to not have repairs required.

however you may want to reconsider what you said.... "you can only experience the equipment's capability or reliability by owning one "

i am of the belief that learning by other peoples mistakes and experiences ( as well as people learn by mine) is a very valuable tool.

to learn only by your own experinece and not others is very short sighted and offers a narrow learing experince ( i dont need to go through chemotherapy to know how painful the treatment is)

my opinion of relaiblity is based upon what i have seen with my eyes ( amps going up in smoke with a really easy load)

hear from relaible sources- dealers that i have known 20 plus years and shoot straight and are very much tube gear experts ( 30 plus years )who wont carry their gear

and...

other audiophiles who have owned the gear and attest to the unrelaiblity... ( this is before audiogon and the web).

what really surprises me is when one goes to the alta vista audiowebsite and the designer admits about design flaws with some of the pieces and offer repairs for it......

on the flip side,i have heard alot of counterpoint gear in the 90's ( steve mccormack shop had it) and it did sound very,very, good (imo, the 5000 is a awesome pre, even by todays standards)

but the relability / quality control is a real issue with the gear. i would go as far to say that you are in the minority with your experience with counterpoint.

good listening,

mike

easy there Mikesinger... I'm a minority : )

so am i :)))) oi vay....

Good work men,sometimes it takes awhile....Bob

Bigkidz, please let us know the results of your decision. I listen to a Counterpoint SA-5.1, extensively modified by AVA. I really enjoy the sound. The First Sound was on my short list of preamps when I upgraded last year, and costs similar to my modified SA-5. Ultimately, I wanted a unit with an internal phono stage, for signal purity, size and expense considerations, and decided on the Counterpoint for these reasons. But I still wonder about a First Sound with an outboard phono stage...