phono pre amp choices?

If you have $3K to spend: Look no further - get a Modwright 9.0 SE tube phono preamp. You won't regret it.
You might be able to get a used one for much less.

I am using the Blue Circle 707 which is quite good and within your budget. The Dynavector 75 is a steal at $750. I am a small dealer and these are the two I picked out last fall to carry solely on the basis of sound for money.

Thanks for the responses. My system is Examplar Audio tube pre amp, Belles 350a mono amps, usher BE-10 speakers, Kuzma stabi s TT. I'm going to be upgrading my cartridge at the same time. Budget is $3K for phonostage, $2K or so for cart. Thanks again.

Phonstage is a real different chapter, there are so many out there and not all are good sounding (but are correct from datas). And the main problem is, that nearly everyone thinks, he has a good one, that makes discussions like a rolling dice...
You know when you listen to a good System (in general), that is why I go to demos whenever I have time to.
Very good sounding units (adjustable from gain etc. ) are those from Stan Klyne.
When you are looking for preamp, too, the Manley Steelhead is good, too.
There is a thread here, who has found his personal last phono stage...I guess 50 answers, 47 different units...=)
Unfortunately they have all one in common, really good Phonostages are never cheap...

Some are good , some aren't. The best costs a lot, but money is no guarantee of great sound. Do you want tubes or solid state? What is the rest of your system? What cartridges do you intend to use? There are no objective standards that will make the selection for you. There are many good ones out there but which ones will match the rest of your system and taste no one else can determine. It is hard to give any recommendations without knowing your budget or taste or the rest of your system.