Recommend an amp + pre for ESL 57s and a new turntable (way out of my league)

Invest in good amplification first and improve your phono stage later. At your budget, I recommend looking at an integrated amp instead of separates. The ESL 57 is one of the best sounding speakers ever made so as long as you can find quality amplification to power it. I suggest either a Class A tube amp at least 25wpc (EL34 based ones are quite a great match with Quad) or a high current solid state amplifier. The 57s are very difficult to drive in the high frequencies, dipping to 2 Ohm impedance at 20KHz, so you’ll need a high current amplifier that can handle the impedance dips.

You might want to look into an EL34 amp that you can get for about $1K on the used market and save $500 on aftermarket tubes. That route may net you sonic performance of gear in the multiples of thousands. I cannot stress how important the amplifier quality needs to be for the ESL57 to perform their best. But when they’re controlled properly, you may never need another pair of speakers. Congrats on your gift!

Thank you! Do any stick out? ST70 is the obvious choice, but interestingly enough, it's the one amp that the friend who gave me the speakers said wasn't a great match. Someone local to me is selling a decent-looking ST-70 clone for an excellent price.

I recommend a Quad 303 amp and the matching Quad 33 preamp. I have a nicely restored 303 to use with my 57’s. The 303 amp was designed specifically to drive the 57's. The Quad pre and amp is a heavenly match with the 57’s.

I have years of History owning the 57's and have them today in use as a Stacked  Array.

The same Speakers are also used both Single Array and Stacked Array in other systems I own.

I have heard them driven by high quality Power Amp's from very low Watts to more than adequate Watts with Valve Amplification, where Valve Selection has been carefully considered.

I have also heard the 57's used with SS Amp's and SS Amp's vs Valve Amp's.

When being demo'd the 57's using a Neurochrome Modular 65, in comparison to Valve Amp's costing 20 x the N'chrome price, I was quite shocked at how impressive the SS Amp' presented an End Sound.

Recently I have loaned the N'chrome and it is resident in my system to be used alongside my Valve Amp's driving my 57's and other owned speakers.

My suggestion is there is a very affordable way to get very very close to the very best End Sound the 57's can deliver and that is to use the N'chrome Modular 65, it is worthwhile learning more.

The Pre Amp need not be too exotic, a Slagle Autoformer has been used on mine for periods and loaned out to be used with others, where the End Sound even though showing a hint of a rich tone has been extremely detailed and right for the 57. 

N'chrome also produce a Transparent Pre Amp, as well as Big Bottle Audio, for either of these it is worthwhile learning more.

Monies will be left to make further choices for other devices.