New preamps making new claims.

"New" and "Improved" have been staple marketing adjectives for more than a century. How else would new products get sold if consumers didn't believe the latest version would make them happier, healthier or sexier?

Take all marketing claims with a sizable grain of salt. They are intended to seduce you into opening your wallet.

Tvad,
Totally agree, but I keep reading here in forums about how Audio Research out-performs their older models.
Some of it may be true, hence the thread.

Some are, some aren't. Its case by case. I would rather wait until the latest model has been out for some time and see what the reaction is. Also the first run often has problems that are ironed out later in production. The best buy is often the model that has just been replaced. There will be a mad scramble to dump them by those who must have the latest thing. The best policy is to drop back a generation or so. There is unlikely to be a large difference and you will save 50% of the price, often more.

I have a new Cary SLP98p f-1 version and I love it. But since it's all hand wired, point to point, with NOS tubes, I guess the only new thing really is the power supply, the rest could be from 1955, so............

BTW, GM and Ford cars are much better, as are all cars to be honest. It's not that GM and Ford are not making good cars, it's that the Japanese and the Germans have done a great job of making their product more desirable and more of a social status simble. It's a cycle, GM and Ford can come back.

Oh yeah, I forgot that with a few noteable exceptions, a lot of the American cars, especially GM have looked horrible. The Pontiac Vibe??? YUCK!!

I will almost forgive them that with the beautiful and woderfully built Cadillac CTS and Chevy Malibu.

Pay attention to Tvad's advice its solid;what pre amp,or pre amps have you visa card moving around?