Thanks for the info Halcro and HW.
Halcro, to be honest, I have a bias towards coreless design (interesting you find it difficult to differentiate from the two...food for thought), but was concerned about the complexity of the 101 (more things that could go wrong). Reading from your prior posts, I realize the importance of changing the caps and re-soldering the old solder joints (specially when troubles surface regarding the latter). Are there any parts you think are particularly important to acquire as spares?
HW, that is a very positive recommendation from you and the custom base is quite interesting. Did you try it nude with metal pillars/feet? If yes, was there any advantage or disadvantage to using your custom base?