VTA M7 preamp?!

VTA is now selling a Chinese Marantz 7, line level preamp knock-off.   Has anyone seen or heard one of these?  Any idea how they compare with any of the other VTA preamps?

It is actually a clone of the line stage from a Conrad Johnson PV5. I am building one right now from AliExpress parts. No idea how it sounds but the circuit is the same with minor value differences. PRT05A is the Chi-Fi model.

The VTA page says that it's the Marantz 7 circuit. I've seen Chinese preamps advertised on EBay making that claim. Could it be that CJ just copied the same circuit and is what you're building? I'd imagine that the patent on the circuit would have long expired.

My mistake. That seems to be a new offering. I was referring to the SP10 Preamp.

hey guys, ask the guy who is selling them! (that's me)
So the SP10 is a CJ knock-off with four tubes. Black faceplate and remote.
The M7 is a Marantz 7 knock-off with three tubes (line stage only). Silver faceplate and remote

www.tubes4hifi.com/pre11.htm

tubes4hifi wrote:hey guys, ask the guy who is selling them!  (that's me)
So the SP10 is a CJ knock-off with four tubes.  Black faceplate and remote.
The M7 is a Marantz 7 knock-off with three tubes (line stage only).  Silver faceplate and remote

www.tubes4hifi.com/pre11.htm

So back to my original question. What do you like about the M7, and for that matter, the SP10 and how do they stack up against the SP14?

I can't imaging y'all selling a Chinese product without first thoroughly checking it out and having it be of a quality that you're willing to have associated with your name.

And while we're at it, does that same vendor offer a Marantz 7 knockoff phono preamp?

Is the original Marantz 7 a highly sought after item only for prestige? Or is it really a preamp worthy of the enormous price tag it commands?

FYI, I have an SP-13 I'm quite happy with.

Hi Rusty,
yes, these were both purchased for evaluation and test by myself, and I was surprised at the high quality of them, and very decent sound quality.
Both are remote controlled and both have dual mono power supplies. They come with cheap chinese tubes, but otherwise very well made with decent parts.
Definitely a value for the $$ spent, which is why I'm offering them to people who don't have the SP12 or SP14 in their budget.
Unless you've got super ears and super speakers (which I know YOU do) for the average person they wouldn't hear much difference between these and say the SP12.
The average person with average speakers rarely buys an SP14, but I'm sure even those are blown away by how good it sounds.
Your SP13 of course (of which only about six were ever made) is identical to an SP14 except for the tubes used.