Hi theaudioninga,
I would read some other threads about preamps to learn more.
In the meantime, I would audition or purchase an older, used preamp from, say, Conrad Johnson or Audio Research.
You have to start somewhere and this would give you a general baseline to compare to what you read about in the various threads.
With CJ or AR you have a piece of gear with a good reputation that could be sold when you decide to try something different.
My opinion, I guess, is that a desired preamp is a journey and you would be lucky to pick one that you love on the first try.
Thanks for listening,
Dsper