Best used preamp for $1500?

You can pick up a Conrad Johnson PV-14L for just under $1500 and you will not be disappointed.

The Wyred STP-SE is very good. The steal of the century is probably the Doge 8 tubed pre-amp that lists at about $1,300. It even comes with a very nice phono stage, although the line stage section is by far the best out there under $4,000.

The best I have heard under $10,000 is the Coincident Technologies Line Stage that lists at $5,000. I have never seen one on the used market, but if you do you should gobble it up. It is pristeen sounding and an amazing steal even at its list price. The only down side is the absence of a phono stage, but Coincident has one, but it is more expensive than the line stage at around $5,250. But Ray Samuels has a great phono stage, the F117 The Nighthawk at $795 that is unbeatable at anywhere near its price.

You can probably get the Wyred STP-SE used for around $1500 or so. Easily everything you want in a preamp, except if you want tubes.

For $2000 you can get a Wyred 4 Sound STP SE

The Dodd and the Modwright are very good. If you have balanced in and out, the BAT VK3i is also v. good. Now that First Sound has introduced their Presence Dlx M3, the price of the Mk2 may be getting close to your ballpark, as would a Joule. I have not had a solid state pre in quite a while, so can't comment.

Dodd Battery preamp -- works great with solid state amps. There is one on Audiogon now. Highly recommend.

Big vote here for Modwright SWL SE.

Jeff Rowland Capri

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatran&1291055318&/Musical-Fidelity-A308-dual-mon

I used an Audio Horizons tube pre with my Aragon 8008BB and liked the combination. You might see a AH 2.0 used for that price

Cary SLP98, or Innersound Preamp

ARC LS2B.

If you can do a fairly accurate job of what your speakers are and the music you listen to most, your room size and how loud you listen, you will most likely get more recommendations.

I've always considered the Speakers to be the heart of a system and the preamp the soul of a system. You are asking one of the most subjective questions out there and everyone is right, they found what is right for them. Your taste, your emotional envolvement in your music and even your personality can shine through your system.... We can all give recommendations, but in the long run, you have to do this one.... I use a Coda.
Good Luck, Tim