So, to answer your question about the HL-1. Buy it! Keith make’s fantastic gear and I have heard the HL-1 and it sounds great. Call the number from Herron’s website and leave a message and he will most likely get back in touch with you. His SS preamp is close to his tube preamp in sound. I have owned many high priced gear and the Herron surpassed most of them, his tube preamp is neutral sounding with a touch of tube warmth. Keith is a musician, engineer and spends countless hours listening and tweaking his designs for a natural sound which gets you as close to how the instruments and vocals sound in real life. Let’s face it nothing sounds like live music from home audio but if it puts you where you feel like you hear what it’s like being there in a live setting then it has accomplished what it’s suppose to.
Good luck with your search and don’t let a semi retired/retired Keith Herron steer you away from buying his products on the used market.