need a good preamp for around 500

AES AE3 used. You won't regret it. And if you buy used you should have money for another set of tubes. I love mine. It adds warmth. The first thing I notiticed was that I could hear the wood in accoustic guitars.

Here are some good choices in your price range in the classifieds right now:

Mapletree Audio Magic 5B SE this one stands out.
Eastern Electric Minimax
Conrad Johnson PV-10 AL Preamp
Counterpoint SA-2000 this one stands out.
AES/Cary AE-3

great info guys. i have never had anything tube before. looks like that must be the way to go. thanks alot please chime in if u see anything else. cheers kevin

without remote.
used ones come out every once in a while and can be had at the top of your budget.
simple dual channel with 12AX7 tubes.
cheap and easy to tube roll, a lot of gain and beautifully made.

Plan A)

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatran&1225282160&/GAS-Thoebe-(with-Goliath-M/C-a

or

Plan B)

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatran&1225684799&/GAS-Thaedra

good ways to go....or the Counterpoint as mentioned above by: Mingles

just my two cents worth.

Cheers

i put an email out to the owner of the counterpoint because it says local pickup only. I would love to get it if he would just ship. Do you guys really think it would be a step up to take the pioneer out and replace it with a good preamp? im just learning what works and what doesnt. hopefully i can hear an improvement over what i have. signal wire where just put in the system and they made a big difference with the golds. thanks for the info.

Do you guys really think it would be a step up to take the pioneer out and replace it with a good preamp?

It depends on what you're looking for. If your goal is to add more realism and depth to the picture, a tube preamp will help, but it probably won't be dramatic. If you're looking for a big change, I recommend replacing your amp and preamp with a tube integrated. To my ears, tube amps make everything sound more natural -- especially vocals and stringed instruments. 50 tube watts should be plenty if you play at moderate levels. Jolida JD302b and Cayin A-50 T should be in your price range.

If you play at high volumes and you're looking for more punch and dynamics, I recommend a more powerful amp. Your Sonance is underpowered for that. Stereophile measured your Stratus Gold at 84 dB efficient. They need more power to really rock.