Having taken a break from the site for a while it is nice to be back and caught up on things smile

The current project is to build a traditional, all-analogue, two-channel system for playing LPs using some old, mostly non-Meridian, equipment that was in storage. And so I have some questions...

The pre-amplifer is currently an original 562V with the 517 onboard DAC configured for variable output. It works fine but is probably not of the quality of the other equipment due to the ADC/DAC signal path. I know that an all analogue signal path is available to tape outs but they cannot be volume controlled. Can anyone confirm whether analogue inputs to the 562V/517 get digitised before being output via the DAC module?

The obvious alternative Meridian preamps are a 501 or 502. The interior photographs on Duncan's Meridian Info suggest that the G01 and G02 are very similar devices, albeit with fancy casework - is this correct?

The 502/G02 appear to include an LPS, absent from the 501/G01, which presumably provides a significant contribution to any superior SQ?

Would anyone like to relate their opinions and experience of the relative merits of the 501 vs. 502 (or even vs. G01 and G02)?

TIA

In the spirit of Spinaltap, I would like to confirm that I am not involved in the corrupt theft of a global sport.