There is a pretty lengthy discussion on the A Designs preamp if you just search through the forum.
I got my first listen of one today. My dealer got one in and we hooked it up to an AEA R84 ribbon.
First impressions: Good sound, not too forward, but with a nice touch of a "Vintage Tube Sound". Not tube oozey, but richer than normal. Not so much in the mids. I could totally use this preamp. It's not a spotlight pre, but has a nice sound.
Second Impression: This box has a SERIOUS build quality problem. If you flip a switch on the front panel or tap the case in anyway, a LOUD 4k-ish metal "riiiiing" comes through the audio. If you clap your hands above the box, same thing. So, I'm guessing the tubes suffer from some pretty nasty microphonics, but I don't really know. Regardless, I was very unimpressed.
If you have a one room studio, take a pass on this box. I can only imagine tracking snare drum is going to cause this awful "Ting, Ting, Ting" every time the drummer smacks the head. If you have a control room, make sure the monitors aren't up too much and that you don't talk loud during the take because you are going to make a notable impact on the sound.
Given the price, I'd save a little more money and look at the Pendulum or Millennia, or any of the other dozen great tube preamps out there.
