In what I believe to be your price range, tone controls are a big no-no. There may be some megakilo-buck pres that can get them right, but for under $2K I wouldn't do it. With the Stratos you will not need/want tone controls anyways. Aside from the Tempest, the Musical Fidelity A3cr and A3.2cr would be my suggestions for the Odyssey Amp, a very synergistic match and I don't think that you'll not find better for the money. From my experience, I would avoid like the plague passive and tube preamps with this amp, however. I've gone though about a dozen preamps with that amp, good SS pres where the only ones to do its superb transparency, among other wonderful qualities, due justice. Some people say a passive or tube pre sounds ok in their Odyssey systems, however, I suspect they have not heard what a really good SS pre will do in comparison.
