Fantasy or reality? Inexpensive solid state preamps that get you 80% there?

@jl35 " it’s simply personal preference…"

Exactly. When I was exploring XP10/XP12, and XP20/XP22, I asked Nelson about running my Cary SLP-98 tube preamp or the SLP-05 paired up with one of the .5 or .8 Pass series amps - he shared in reply "we have many customers using your same tube preamp with our amps". So the preference comment is spot on imo, and while experiences seem to vary greatly with us all.

@hilde45 If I were in your shoes, I’d pick up a spare Linlai 6SN7 for your custom tube preamp, pair it with your Pass SS or QS tube amps, and call it a day.

i.e. Nelson likes tubes too in a preamp, another preference, with his own flat-tube version right here in a DIY preamp kit, supplied by Nelson: Korg Nutube dual triode kit. Well under your 1k state budget, at $299 for the kit. Several have tried it and like it pretty well. I’d put it up against many preamps already mentioned here.

@coltrane1 I recently acquired a throwback from the mid 90’s. A Threshold T3i. It’s got a separate and full sized power supply. Likely Stereophile A back in its day. It’s been checked out by the great Jon Soderberg. ...

I was at Jon’s place last night picking up a 50w Class A SS Forte Audio amplifier I had checked and upgraded, fully refreshed. We talked a bit about some of the prior Threshold and Forte Audio preamps. A few of them sitting there. I might pick one up for nostalgia reasons, and growing up with it all around us. Have an eye on a few now. 👍 Doing some SS/Tube A/B comparisons with my custom speakers. 

That is kind of the path @coltrane1 and I were going down with picking up an older Threshold or Forte Audio or Pass Labs preamp using Vintage Repair folks and/or businesses we all know like Bryston or Conrad Johnson techs to refresh them.

While Schiit and a few others have picked up related customers in this space, some of these older vintage preamps can be fun and sound nice too as an option. 

@hilde45 would be fun to have Schiit send you a Saga and/or Freya to compare how far off it really is (or not) from your two tube line stage preamps and the DIY solid state unit you are testing now. Could be interesting 👍

@panerai557 ...However, more you read reviews, forums, and listen to other systems, your preferences will change and upgrade desire will start eating you from inside.

Or, one day you go and listen to someone else’s system or at a show where they believe it sounds really good, sitting there asking yourself WTF? Simply need to try stuff with your own speakers, room, cables and system anyhow - - if one has any hope of giving yourself and existing investments a fair chance to evolve reasonably.