I have a great recommendation in your price range... or any price range. Don Sach's tube preamp, based around octal tubes (6SN7's), is a glimpse of heaven for under $2K. It is better than a fully rehabbed Harman Kardon Citation I and is quick, liquid, detailed and dead quiet. Don is among the nicer and more approachable audio folks in the business and is brilliant. It comes with an excellent wood base and the tubes are exposed for easy tube rollling. It is the best preamp of the dozen or so (Berning, CJ, Klyne, Modwright, Belles, et. al.) I have had over the past 45 years. You can find it by searching for "Don Sachs Consulting" and look under the custom line stage. He has a killer phono preamp and is nearly completing the development of a KT88-based amp that he feels betters the HK-CII for about $2.5K. Whitestix