Easy -- PS Audio Stellar phono pre.
Okay, it's $2,499, so it's a little above your ceiling. But this is the one Michael Fremer of Stereophile said should be considered by anyone planning to buy a phono pre AT ANY PRICE. And that's a guy who normally uses 5 and 6-figure phone pre's.
I bought one and compared it to my Lamm LP 2 tube phono pre -- and immediately sold the Lamm for twice the cost of the PS Stellar.