Hey guys, I say "to each his own." You wanna talk about webpages, take a look at CAT - Ken Stevens has made some of the most successful and best sounding preamps of the past 20-some years and they hardly have a website! You might want to add a CAT preamp to your list.
Buying from Paul with his less than techno-savvy website is not going to be for everyone, but maybe he wants it that way. Think about it, if he had a great website, a dealer network, and attended all the shows, perhaps he wouldn't be able to keep up with demand. In this commodity driven world I can appreciate that a design artisan might want to keep control of his work, and deal only with customers who really want and appreciate the products. If his current advertising program (or lack of) wasn't working for him, don't you think he would make changes? Same with Ken Stevens at CAT.
On the other side of the coin, it doesn't take a large company to have an up to date website. For example, Emmanuel Go at First Sound has a very nice modern website for what is basically a one-man operation with one basic product. Emmanuel also makes great sounding preamps that you might consider.
I don't disagree that Paul at TRL may benefit (with increased sales) by having better descriptions of his products on the website. I personally like the detail given the products on the First Sound site. He could also consider getting some outside assistance like Ken Stevens at CAT did with the Factory Tour Feature Article on Soundstage! But, even if he never upgrades his website, you have to respect all the positive feedback he receives from audiophiles who have actually purchased his products. I came really close to buying a DUDE a year or so ago but, like Jtwrace, my amps have only balanced inputs and, at the time, I was too impatient to wait for Paul to construct a new balanced model and, like you, I was hesitant to spend the money on something unheard. That was my choice, and probably my loss since several audio-aquaintances told me how great the DUDE sounds so, maybe in the future... I would still love to hear one in my system.
Finally, I wouldn't entirely give up on solid state. I still think the Tom Evans preamp approaches most of the good tubed preamps I have owned, although it is a bit more neutral and slightly less dynamic so maybe not for everyone. Currently I am using a great sounding custom preamp from another design artisan, Steve McCormack, who took an old TLC-1 and, with carte blanche authorization, crafted an amazing balanced preamp that rivals anything I have owned. Steve's website needs a little work too - but then, I don't listen to the website.
Good luck with your search.
