Price Paid:  $550.00 from auction

Summary:
This is probably one of the best bargains out there. I have owned many preamps, and this one outdoes them all in every way. Soundstage and tonal accuracy are simply amazing.
This unit's ability to define instrument position, and portray vocal realism is astounding.
I am sure there are better units out there, but for the price I haven't founf any contenders as yet.
Under the hood reveals top notch build quality I have only yet found on a Spectral I used to own.
This preamp has some features I have not yet encountered such as being able to set the input level of each input independantly to match different equipment output levels. Fully programmable, and nicely layed out remote is nice too.
If you are looking for a much better than average preamp but don't want to pay for it, I highly recommend finding one of these.

Strengths:
Soundstage, build, flexibility

Weaknesses:
Can't find any

Similar Products Used:
Spectral, Classe', Parasound

Price Paid:  $2500.00

Summary:
I was looking for an upgrade from my Bryston bp-25 (at the price also brilliant). The Proceed provided this at minimal cost. The sound is perhaps a tiny bit less warm but at the same time more revealing. Easy of use is unsurpassed even for a model now about six years old. everything is remote controllable and it has a Unity Gain for Home Theatre bypass.I also love the user definable input gain (let's you compensate for volume difference between sources) which comes in especially handy with a fully balanced DAC connected via XLR. Çouldnt do that with my BP-25 and believe my fully balanced via XLR has twice as much volume! (Bryston then has a problem with the balance at low attenuation because of the Alps volume control they employ)

Strengths:
Ease of use, intelligent volume when switching inputs, built quality, very modern minimalistic looks and ofcourse sound: could hardly tell the difference with Mark levinson ML 38, twice the price!

Weaknesses:
Too good a product, therefor no longer in production...

Similar Products Used:
Bryston BP-25

Summary:
I think that this pre-amp is great.
I sold hi-fi for 5 years and this is theone I chose.
One of my main, non-sound criterea was having a functional way to run my home theater through my main 2 front channels without putting anything new in to my audio path. This preamp handles this perfectly by allowing one of the outputs to be switched to a unity gain mode that feeds the signal from my surround preamp straight through to my front channel amps. The sound is great and the interface is clean and intuitive. It is also built like a tank and I'm sure will last forever.
I was completely open to the options that were mucj more expensive but none of them offered the sound and flexibility of the Pre. It is a high end stereo preamp that can also accomodate a sophisticated hom ethater set up.

Strengths:
Great sound, looks and home theater friendly

Weaknesses:
a little hard sounding

Similar Products Used:
proceed amp3

Price Paid:  $1800.00 from Let's Make Music

Summary:
If you're looking for a flexible preamp that will deliver accurate sound then the Proceed Pre is for you. I've been using this unit for well over a year now, and I am more than pleased. It has operated without one glitch during this time, and I forsee no problems in the future.

As far as the sound goes, this is pretty much a product that tells it like it is. This is not one of those solid-state preamps that try to be a tube preamp. Your sows-ear recordings will retain their sows-ear credentials. On the other hand, the Proceed Pre manages to avoid the zippy hifi sound of other so-called revealing preamps. Therefore, images in the soundstage will be portrayed as part of said soundstage--not apart from it. The depth and width are realistically portrayed with all instruments arrayed within.

In comparison with my prior preamps, the Pre exhibits a more refined presentation in that the top octave or so is clean and concise. Where the Adcom GFP 555 was somewhat brash and forward the Pre is more level headed and matter-of-fact. The midrange follows a similar path in both preamps. Where the Adcom could sound slightly bright and in your face when played at a high level the Pre retains its composure. Voices sound wonderful through the Pre into my Hales Revelation Three speakers via a Proceed Amp 2.

Finally, in comparison with the Counterpoint Solid 8, the Pre is just a better constructed product. The volume control on the Counterpoint mistracks between channels at lower settings while the Pre is dead on. Basically, the Pre had more to offer ergonmically speaking. And too, there were some subtle improvements in performance when the Pre was inserted in the playback chain--these being slightly more soundstage depth and breadth and more air around the treble frequencies. Cymbals were set back somewhat in comparison to the Counterpoint's more upfront representation. The differences between these two preamps were much less pronounced than the differences between the Adcom and the Pre.

Finally, I must say something about the rating system on this site. Basically, it is too coarse. I'd love to give the Pre five stars for both performance and value, but I know that there are even better products out there. Still, the Pre rates better than 4 stars for either criteria. This is a very good product, but it is not state-of-the-art. Decisions. Decisions. Oh, to hell with it. 5 stars all around.

Strengths:
1) Tape loop that allows bypass of volume control so that an external surround processor can be connected, 2) Learning remote, 3) Digital readout of volume for precise settings from a distance, 4) balanced or single-ended operation for many of its inputs/outputs.

Weaknesses:
It could use one or two more inputs. (I'm nitpicking here.)

Similar Products Used:
Adcom GFP 555 and Counterpoint Solid 8 preamp

Summary:
I'm surprised to find that there haven't been more reviews for this product. In my system I've found it to be an exceptional performer, contributing greatly to the imagery and dynamics. Everything about this product oozes quality, and especially since you can pick one up on the used market for practically nothing, it's an unbeatable deal. I was originally thinking about going into tubes (BAT VK3i, CJ) but after hearing this pre I've lost that urge. When they say it's the baby brother of the Levinson pre's, I believe it. I'm currently using it with the proceed amp2, another great product. These two pieces will be staying in my system for a really long time.

Strengths:
Flexibility, soundstaging, clarity

Weaknesses:
none