KT 88: The batteries last 5 days (when using two of the preamps as dual monos). I have 4 batteries and recharge one pair while using the other pair.
There have recently been some people @ AA who have not had decent results with the preamps (though none of them have used the preamps in the dual/mono manner that I do, as far as I know, and one person did not even run the unit in for 50 hours - which is necessary with any new piece of gear). That said, a single unit (used in stereo) still sounded pretty good in my setup, but not in theirs. The 4 batteries and a charger were $46 @ Target (the cheapest price I could find) and I paid $32 for a pair of the preamps which retail for $50 ($25 each). Yes, they are dead quiet (I can turn the volume up all the way in my system with the tonearm raised and barely hear any sound @ the speakers). They should only be used with high output cartridges (due to the gain spec) which is most likely what you will be using.
A single unit, two batteries (to roll) and a charger should run approx. $50 (retail), plus any tax and shipping expense. I have only compared the Rat's (dual mono) to a NAD unit (no comparison) and the phono stage of an Audible Illusions Mod 3A (the 3A was better:-). I also wonder if the odd cabling that I use may be why I am getting such good results, but I do not have any traditional cables on hand to experiment with? If you end up going with the "Rat", send me an email, and I will make up a pair of IC's (based somewhat on the more expensive ones that I have), gratis, for you to use with it (this offer is only for KT 88).
What I should do is start a new thread @ AA in order to gather recent user feedback on the "Rat". Perhaps I can do this later today and/or tomorrow?
Did you get the Technics TT yet?
