Pre-amp selection advice needed

There are a million units that you could pick.  Budget is the biggest constraint as there are preamps that can be had for less than $1000 or you could spend $30,000 without blinking an eye.

When taking into account the Hugo 2 a your DAC, my hunch is you would be looking in the $2000 to $3000 range.  Chord is out as their least expensive preamp is way more.  

For a good value, the Musical Fidelity M6s PRE is great for $2K.  You could look at Rogue if you are willing to consider tubes and the the RP1 and RP5 would be nice options at $1500 and $3500 respectively.  

The PS Audio Stellar Pre is a nice unit for $2499. Parasound has a preamp in this price range as does Vincent.  Just above there is the Art Audio VPS at $4K.  Lots of choices.   

I am an MF dealer and have access to some other brands.  PM me if you narrow it down and want to discuss ordering.  

phuoctue
Pre-amp selection advice needed

Just be careful you already have a dac that put’s out 3v!! most amps are at full power with 1- 2v in.
So what you need is a preamp with "low or zero gain", other wise you’ll be turning down the Chord volume too much and introducing "Bit Stripping"

I suggest a $399 Shiit Saga or $299 Saga S both have unity (zero) gain, in passive mode or active mode. leave your Chord volume up close to full then
https://www.schiit.com/products/saga-2

https://www.schiit.com/products/saga-s

and then get a separate phono stage with up to 60db of gain, they are around you have to search.

Cheers George

@shahram - Would be around 1500USD max. Same value and tier as my speaker.

@verdantaudio - Thanks for your recommendations. But my budget is a bit lower. And sorry I am not from the US, so impossible to do business with you though I am felling tempted.

@georgehifi - Thanks for that insightful technical bits of the DAC’s output voltage. Your suggestions seem to fit and I can try to do a test with my local dealers here. But would try the Saga S, or may be Freya S, since I am afraid the models with tube might alter the sound signature from the Hugo DAC.

After all, really appreciate all for your helpful knowledge.

May I offer a different parameter as to this "selection process"   the preamp has to "fit" in the system......the amp (s) the preamp and the speakers.......and then the room as the forth part of the system.....sources are not the same as  foundation parts 

My search continues for a preamp in front of Radio Craftsman 500 monoblocks.....which drive a pair of Sachiko rear loaded horns......so far I have yet to find a tube preamp that I like as much as the hafler 110 ---just  acquired a heathkit SP-2 ( a 'restored'  fisher copy??)  to check out...  have not found a tube pre as "likeable " as the SS Halfler ( refurb'ed and upgraded)    fisher 400C is mentioned as what they used back then  1959-62.......  Lafayette KT600 was another but so rare indeed...     anyway, this is my "process " as I have little chance to just try out a preamp........

a follow up     my past audio systems were integrated amps and souces direct connected to the amp    no preamp   this is a regular config  for low power tube amps and horns.......which leaves me as a hifi fan with not a whit  what to do when I want to use a R2R for the analog source......and preamps w/ all the design  juices on vinyl connections and what for tape?    a couple of rca's?    oh! I whine again......still it sounds to me that the SS Hafler preamp on the KT66 tube mono's and horns is quite adceptable!