I have an ATR 102 and I also have a Revox PR99 which I guess you could refer to as a prosumer machine. The ATR weighs 150 lbs, the Revox weighs maybe 50 lbs, both without stands. They both do the same thing but the ATR exudes a level of stability and quality that is not present in the Revox, which is, nonetheless, an excellent machine that I have used and that I like very well.
The stock electronics in the Revox are no match for the stock electronics in the ATR and the stock electronics in the ATR are also superior to the Studer electronics that I have listened to. In addition, I have compared the ATR factory electronics to two commercial repro preamps which I purchased and still own and I feel that the sonic differences may not be significant to most listeners, especially unless they have a $200 or $300k audio system. The ATR has excellent electronics and if they are in good condition you may well not feel any need to acquire a separate tape head preamp which will introduce additional cost and complexity (more cables, maybe tubes, etc). If you buy a prosumer machine you will definitely want to get a tape head preamp. I would suggest that if you buy an ATR, you do an a-b comparison with other tape preamps before deciding not to use the ATR stock electronics.
