"I have several acoustics and have installed K and K pickups in nearly all of them. I love the natural sound and the fact that I don't have to mess with batteries. My issue however was an annoying signal breakup from time to time when playing aggressively. I had been using an LR Baggs Venue and or a Para DI (both good units). I started doing some research and found that others were having similar issues, so I took a chance and bought the K and K Pure Preamp. Problem solved. It's really a very simple unit and doesn't have nearly the flexibility of the other two aforementioned pre's, but honestly, that can be handled for the most part at the mixer. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone who is using K and K pickups."

"For the price one pays for one of these, it should have:
(1) - easier access to the battery compartment.
(2) - a better means for securing the belt clip.
(3) - a phase switch
(4) - a better on/off switch than just plugging a cable into the input jack.
(5) - an XLR out so it can function as a DI box as well as a pre-amp.
I used to think highly of K&K's products -- but this is a disappointment.
Next time I purchase a pre-amp I'm opting for the Fishman Platinum Pro. It's built better and has more features.
The best think I can say for this is "meh...""

"I bought the K&K preamp after several months playing my steel string acoustic guitar with only a passive K&K Pure Mini pickup. I'm totally happy with the pickup on its own when I play at home and can dial in the sound on my own amp. But as I've started playing at more venues and in different environments sometimes the sound comes out all wonky and I'm at the mercy of the sound person to un-wonkify me. Or, even worse, me trying to do it myself if there's no sound person. And then when switching between playing styles I'm again at the mercy of an attentive sound person to adjust the levels. I had considered and tried out some other, more sophisticated preamps but decided to just go with the one specifically made for my pickup. I've only had about two hours fiddling with it since I got it, but I think this preamp is gonna be just the thing. I know sound is a style and taste thing, so let me leave it at: the preamp gives my signal a surprising amount of warmth, gravitas and volume, as well as plenty of room to adjust the levels from the box. I felt like I was three inches taller and could bench press 80 more pounds as soon as I started strumming through the little guy. The only not-so-totally-awesome thing about the whole system was the 'product manual,' which was comically terse and uninformative for a music newbie technophobe like me. Especially since you gotta open the preamp up and do minor surgery on some unlabeled stuff inside to get it set up correctly. Maybe two more paragraphs of text and a little sticker or just a picture would have done the trick. However, what saved its bacon was the K&K customer support system. I got connected with a guy within 2 minutes of placing the call and he patiently walked me through the entire setup process, answering all of my questions and giving me more background when I wanted it. He even started speaking r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w-l-y when it was clear I had little to no idea what I was doing. But when we got to territory I was familiar with he was also able to talk to me in Normal Voice. So, a great product with great customer support. Just a little thin on the destruction manual.

9-month update (12/30/13): I pretty much never play outside of my home without bringing the K&K Pure Preamp along. I like it more and more as I get more experience using it with my own solo setup and the other systems I most often plug into. I only have one minor design complaint: The main volume knob spins very easily, so when I have had the unit clipped to my belt or back pocket while playing the friction from my shirt or sweater brushing against the knob as I move around has accidentally turned the volume way up or way down. It's happened enough times for me to stop using it clipped to myself at all. I'll leave it on the floor next to me or over by the amp, which kind of negates the ease-of-adjustment-during-a-set thing without some jury rigging."