Budget Tube Preamp ($2000)


Hello guys,
First post here!

I am in the market for a tube preamplifier for my current system, to add a bit of warmth. My budget is under $2000, the cheaper the better, Mainly looking at the used market (I love great deals). 
My build currently:
- Monitor Audio Silver 300 speakers
- Project Debut Carbon Turntable
- Marantz Cd5005 CD player
- Cambridge Audio Azur 851N
- Rotel RB 1582 Mkii Power Amp

If you guys have suggestions, I appreciate it a lot! For the inputs, if the preamp has XLR that would be great as I'm currently running my Azur 851N to my amp through a balanced connection and it sounds pretty good. This is not completely necessary though. 

Thanks!


saltboy

Showing 2 responses by wolf_garcia

You think the preamp is responsible for microphonic tubes? Was the Freya + you supposedly owned also noisy in the other two non tube modes? Did you call Schiit about it? Again, nonsense.
My Freya (original version bought new a few years ago) isn't now and has never been sensitive to microphonics...a myth from some critics that's clearly nonsense. The tubes can be rolled among all the brands available and, although finding a bad tube is possible, I haven't found a single one among the many NOS and new tubes I've stuck in the preamp...my current quad of NOS GEs has held up for a long time and sound spectacular, are clear and clean and utterly non microphonic.