Preamp Options under $3500

You’ll be spinnin' your wheels finding a one chassis preamp other than that QUAD with those options that you are lookin' for!

I’ve owned quite a few preamps in this price range, and believe it or not, my favorite among them all is the Topping A70Pro. It’s actually a headphone amp but also functions as a very good preamp. It doesn’t have a phono section but its width is only half that of most preamps, so you could add a half-width phono preamp like the Parasound XRM (also a ridiculous value) and you’d have approximately the same footprint. Or you could even stack one atop the other. Both are incredibly quiet and transparent.
 
There are preamps that editorialize the music in some way that may be subjectively preferable, but none will be more transparent IME. 

@chippieboy Wrote:

Preamp Options under $3500

I also could use tone controls. I like to boost the Treble just a bit to compensate for my 70 year old ears.

I would go with a Freya+F preamp $999 Loki Max EQ $1499 and Skoll F phono preamp $399

I am also entertaining the Schiit package same as ditusa listed above. A friend of mine suggested the same thing last night. Also, I found a used Mac C49 with some scuffs for just under 3K. I have not heard the Mac sound before so I'm on the fence. From what I have read in the past, you either Love or Hate the Mac Sound. I think the Peral Audio guy also likes the Topping. Not sure if it's the same model. Yogiboy is right, I'm spinning so keep the suggestions coming.

Thanks Everybody !!!!!

I am not sure this would be an option, based on your input requirements, but having been very recently amazed by the flexibility and functions of the Eversolo Streamers, I thought I would "toss the hat into your ring" - I was looking for a good Streamer and ended up with their A8, just below $2k.  The A8 and the newer A10 both provide great streaming features and will also function as a high end PreAmp.  They are looking like a player to be reconned with - superior ratings - give them a look - just might fill your bill.

Uhm you already have a Preamp coming? why look for others without using what you have on the way first? @chippieboy 

I have a Schitt Kara F preamp that replaced the 4x more expensive Holo Audio Serene. The Serene was very good but after a head-2-head with a friend's DIY preamp, the bloom fell off the Serene for me.

I figured the $799 Kara F would be very close to the Serene. It is about 85% as good as the Serene so I sold the Serene.

The Kara F is going into a Schitt Wotan amp (which I really like). I have the Schitt Yggi+ MIB DAC also in the system. 

I put my Benchmark HPA4 preamp into the system and loved the sound over the Kara F. As I have said in many posts. You can give me a million $ and for audio and I still use the HPA4 or LA4 preamps. 

I even have my office and Livingroom system hooked up to the same HPA4 preamp at the same time. Of course, only one system plays at any time.

The Kara F still gets used, but now only for my RAAL SR1a earphones, via the same Schitt Yggi+ MIB DAC and the Schitt Aegir amp.

@helomech  I like hearing stories like this. Can you share what other preamps you had that you ultimately preferred the A70 pro to?

You could look for a used Luxman CL-38uC.

@t_ramey 

I have had the Benchmark LA4, Bel Canto Pre5, Bel Canto PRe1 with Ace Tomato upgrades, the Coda Continuum CP, Mac C49, Schiit Freya (passive mode), Questyle CMA 12, Quad Artera, Topping Pre90 and Topping A90 Discrete. Also various line stage sections of integrated amps (some of which are surprisingly good), and DACs with volume control. Those are just the solid state ones that I can recall off the top of my head. 

I would recommend looking for a used Audio Research PH8 (although PH7 would also be good... just not quite as). I had one for many years. The first phono stage I owned that completely got out of the way... incredible sounding, built like a tank to perform for decades. Conrad Johnson and Zesto also makes great phono stages. By buying used you can get up into the audiophile range getting superior sound and build quality. 

@helomech  Wow, thanks for sharing!