Preamp Recommendation for First Watt F4

@ajant:
Not as many as I would like.  The F4 was the first piece of equipment I bought when I was assembling my new system.  I heard so many great things about it and it was very inexpensive by high-end standards.  I ended up purchasing a Pass DIY BA-3 to accompany it because it was also reputed to be very good for the money.  The combination sounds great, just not enough gain & watts for most systems.  I purchased a pair of Graham LS 5/5 speakers because I listen to a lot of classical music and they match my sonic priorities very well.  So I purchased a more powerful amplifier and ended up using the volume control on my Meitner MA3 DAC rather than a preamp.  So many possible combinations and only so much money for hi-fi equipment.

I would love to be able to hear the F4 with a very nice high gain preamp, and expect it would sound great.  I think it would also be enough juice for 80% of my listening.  I plan on keeping the F4 indefinitely even though I'm not using it now.  If I were looking for a good inexpensive matching preamplifier, I would strongly consider a (used of course) Blue Circle BC 3000.  Lots of gain and I liked it very much.  I had one couple of decades ago and thought it was much better than the Hovland HP 100 that all the critics were falling over at the time.  I sold the Blue Circle to purchase the  Hovland and that was my way of truly learning that critics are just other people's opinions and what counts is mine.  I would also consider a CAT from Ken Stevens.

@vinylvalet :
The Pass B1 and F4 are mirror images.  Both presume that there's plenty of gain in your system and simple is better.  One solves the problem on the amplifier side and the other on the preamplifier side.  Also heard lots of good things about the B1 and have considered picking one up used, but am trying not to become a hoarder.