FWIW, the phono stage in the Nick Doshi Alaap has been A/B'd by one Alaap owner or another against Aesthetix Io, Aesthetix Rhea, Klyne, Lamm LP2 and all three Suprateks. (Probably more, but those are the ones I'm sure of.)
The Alaap is better than any of these. Io, Rhea, Klyne and Supratek Grange owners have all replaced their units with one of Nick's. I am unbelievably lucky to have met him and to own one.
Swampwalker's VAC Renaissance came closer to my Alaap than any phono preamp I've heard. It didn't have quite the frequency extension but it was close in most other respects. I'd also love to hear Raul's, which I suspect is very good indeed.
These private built designs offer opportunities for no-compromise componentry and fanatically careful circuit layouts at a relatively affordable cost. When a design goes commercial then compromises must occur and/or the price must go through the roof. Private builders making one unit at a time can indulge in luxuries that would be impractical for a commercial operation.
