linn kairn w/slimline wersion of the brilliant power-supply is excellent. the fono in the fono-stage wersion is *also* excellent - bettering the musical surroundings phonomena, imho. awailable for <$1.5k, w/fono, even less than w/o. great soundstage width & height. great dynamics, great timbre & transparancy. only shortfall is soundstage depth - this i rectified by going to a tubed preamp. but, i dunno if any s/s pre in this price-range, even used, can approach the total soundstage of a toobed unit...
doug s.
ps, from my prewious experience w/an older electrocompaniet ec-1a preamp, (changed to the linn for the remote!) & my present experience w/their older *and* newer amps, their ec4.6 & ec4.7 preamps are prolly also worth inwestigating...