Hi,
Just my 2c...
As I read this post, I remember when I spoke to Mr. Neve.
He is always trying to improve his designs. Both from a sound and a build perspective.
Now, even though he has nothing to do with this new lunchbox preamp, I do find it interesting to read a lot about the build.
In the old days, there was always a push to make things better, and less expensive to build, as well as more robust.
With this in mind, I think we should all give this device a chance, and listen to it.
I only have one reason, and this is that most component manufacturers will continue to make things smaller and cheaper to build, so the challenge for an audio manufacturer is no longer just about the build and the sound, but also about being able to service these pieces down the road.
If Neve, the company, would only use outdated components, eventually it would become itself obsolete, since eventually parts are improved, and no longer made.
I've been looking into getting some 500 series things for quite some time now.
I will try to listen first, and judge later.
Cheers