I have some questions about hum and distortion issues and a builder

[Frihed89]

I am looking for a low gain preamp that i want to use with 300B, 2A3, 45 and Darling (0.8W) SET amplifiers: 8-10dB max.

1. Is everyone satisfied that the hum and distortion issues related to the smash have been fixed by the upgrades?
2. Does this amp require an earth ground?  My old building only has 2 hole outlets (I ask because I am not sure if it has filament bias, which requires an earth bias).
3.  My hands shake with age.  I am looking for a reputable builder in the US to build one to the 230V 50hz EU standard for the PS + the upgrades.

Thank you.

[Doc B.]

The Smash now comes standard with the Smashup upgrade which addressed the issue that a few builders were having with distortion at the highest volume settings.

We do not recommend using our products in locations where the mains have no ground wire. This is a general safety issue, not in any way a problem with how the kit will function. The kit uses UL standards in the safety grounding layout and that assumes that the mains wiring meets the current safety standards.

Shawn Phelps, aka hifibuilderguy, is our authorized technician for kit assembly.

https://www.facebook.com/hifibuilderguy/