the reason i went with the eva is cuz i also did not want to diy, i do not need balanced, i wanted the least expensive unit awailable w/remote control. for circuitry quality, i am more than satisfied w/the diyparadise solution - when i queried its designer, this is the response i got:
"Eva2 is design with 2 LDRs per channel; configured in variable series and shunt. This yield the best sonic result compared to fixed series resistor and variable shunt design."
there is no channel imbalance issue, and no operational problems so far, in ~9 months of use. the unit is pretty-much on 24/7.
sorry about getting so off-topic. but, anyone interested in something like the placette, (i was also interested), should consider ldr-based pre's as well...
doug s.