Phono preamp comparison: Herron vs. K&K

I am listening to a K&K maxxed out with all of the latest
upgrades (not sure if that makes it a premium or not), and I
can assure you it is staying right here in my system. Kevin
Carter at K&K is great to deal with too. I have not heard the
Herron units.

One thing to keep in mind if you are considering the K&K is the possibility of future upgrades. The very first kit sold can be upgraded to the latest version of the circuit ( I know, i upgraded it for a friend that bought it from me). Kevin prices the upgrade kits based on the part cost, not on the sonic benefit as some do. Charging what they think the market will bear. That could be one reason so few units are available used. You don't have to run out and buy a new unit when an improved version becomes available.

One thing I point out to everyone who tries the K&K: give it time to break in. The change up to around 200 hours of actual signal time is monumental. Things continue to get better up to about 4-500 hours. There's a lot of transformer wire in the K&K that needs exercising. That said, I am constantly delighted by my K&K and have owned it for around three years. The last round of upgrades has really made the unit quite special.

The prices (from the K&K site) of the Standard and Premium KITS are 1.3 and 2.4 K$, so it is quite important.

Can any of you tell what sonic differences to expect, what different results you'll have from those to options ?

Of course, it is a great thing to know that later you can take the upgrade path with a fair price.

Regards. T.

I would be very interested in knowing too. anyone?