I'm slobbering over this one...

Surely not for a mono unit. I figure around 3500 maybe?

4 k plus 600 for the buddy who is pushing it.

I use a clone by vintage design and after 10 years of use I can say its nice to have, but not the sound you need every time.Think clean, no color no nothing. The best ones for this have been the cheapo ones in my FF 400... even the SPL channel one was not clean.

I've owned one and sold it.  The AML sounds nothing like a 1081.  Which I have also owned and sold, sadly.

Are there any shootouts pitting the 1081 against more affordable units?

The 1081 is cowboy's "white whale".

LOL.  It really is.  Audio exctacy..

You can find them for $4100 new without rack, $4700 with VK rack so paying $4500 plus fees for used is too much in my opinion. Never hurts to email the guy and offer him $3500 right now. Sounds like his last couple auctions didn't go smoothly.

What a great pre. Although I'm partial to the 1084 when it comes to white whales.

"Unit is in excellent condition and includes a VK chassis, valued at an additional $850, on top of the fact the unit sells new for $4500."

I can think of a lot of things that I would spend $4,500.00+ on that would do a lot more to my mixes than one preamp. That being said, everybody has their own gear love. So, if you've got the jones go for it!

Edit: I didn't see that the last one closed at $2400. Now were talking. Will be fun to see the final price.

Isn't the 1081 class AB?

He also probably made several million on radio play and TV/film placement. Probably several million in film placement alone. Streaming is but one revenue stream. If radio - and their payment goes away - it's over.

But, actually, I was going to bring this up....but, isn't BAE's version actually the same classA 1073 preamp, only married to the 1084's EQ with additional frequency selections still added because Neve didn't use all the terminals on the back of the switching knobs? So, they just filled in the blanks with additional points? The reason I bring it up, is that I personally wouldn't consider buying a 40 year old piece of kit when there's someone making a tit for tat handwired replica that you could literally have a demo unit in your studio on SPEC to try for some sessions....if my rig went up in vapor tomorrow, I might consider a pair of those BAE 1028 or whatever they call the modded one as my only inputs for overdubs. I can't deal without having analog EQ inline any more. There's just SUCH a difference in recording with EQ, no matter how slight the tweak is compared to without and even inserting the same analog EQ at mix time. It's the difference in after the fact it sounds EQ'd....but, if you do it prior to capture, it's just "part of the sound". Which sounds like semantics....dancing about architecture and all, but....it's more efficient to have them all together--no patch cables....and I have to say the Great River was a STUNNING preamp when you add the EQ into the circuit--which is placed (traditionally correctly) unbalanced in between the gain stages/transformers with one TRS patch cable. Loved that combo. Just the variable HPF on that unit was so killer--the Great River, that is....continuous, unlike the Neve--with, if memory serves, a few different types or steepness settings? Regardless--lovely sound. I can still hear in my head that sound of me singing Journey tunes because the M269>Great River>Great River EQ with a big air bump was just "that sound". Instant 80s vocals--you know, the good ones, not....well....the other ones....Huey Lewis....Bryan Adams....Sting....do it to it...that kind of "full but not bloated with gritty smooth air"....lovely. Ahh....to be a rich man, I would SO be looking at his little project studio mixer.