How good is the EAR 834 L preamp?

Tim De Paravicini's designs are well thought of by the likes of Pink Floyd and countless others in the pro audio world. You will likley find this to be more robust than typical comparable products.

Are their any owners of this preamp out there that have settled with it after owner some of the higher price stuff. This preamp intrigues me becuase it is relatively inexpensive and TdPs reputation is stellar, I jsut wonder if he is able to put out a product at this price point that competes with the likes of the $5-10K stuff out there.

I own one but haven't used it in a while. I used it as a back-up to my SP10II. Harry Pearson of TAS reviewed it and made a comparison between its sonic signature and that of the SP10. Sounds quality is good but its build quality is, IMHO, poor, contrary to Shadornes expectations that it would be robust. The owners manual incorrectly identifies tubes or their locations or both, and manufacturer support was (is?)absymal. Look at one with the lid off, listen to it with the right tubes installed, check out all the functions to make sure they work, and make your own decision whether it will float your boat. If its not already apparent, IMHO, this pre-amp doesn't compete (successfully) with $5 to $10k stuff but if you want a small, cheap, pre-amp that sounds pretty good, check it out.