PV-11 is an excellent preamp, and I bet with some upgraded caps and such would compare to some of the better units available. I owned one for 10+ years and enjoyed it tremendously. My understanding is the PV-12 has a similar line stage as the PV-11 and the PV10B replaced the PV-12, so that also may be similar.
I picked up a Modwright preamp to "upgrade" from the CJ.
I ended up selling the CJ and the buyer auditioned it before buying it. I was shocked how good it sounded compared to my Modwright and I thought I may have made a mistake selling it then. The Modwright did the audiophile stuff better, more dynamic better tighter bass, not as warm, but dare I say the CJ was more musical. I now own a Supratek which gives me the warmth of the CJ and the speed of the Modwright. (the Modwright did improve its sound after some upgrades - thought I settled with the Supratek) The PV-11 is definitely on of the best bargains out there for a used preamp.
I picked up a Modwright preamp to "upgrade" from the CJ.
I ended up selling the CJ and the buyer auditioned it before buying it. I was shocked how good it sounded compared to my Modwright and I thought I may have made a mistake selling it then. The Modwright did the audiophile stuff better, more dynamic better tighter bass, not as warm, but dare I say the CJ was more musical. I now own a Supratek which gives me the warmth of the CJ and the speed of the Modwright. (the Modwright did improve its sound after some upgrades - thought I settled with the Supratek) The PV-11 is definitely on of the best bargains out there for a used preamp.