The best sounding cheap preamp you can buy is the Chinese copy of FM Acoustic 155 preamp I believe the patents on that design have expired so anybody can copy them and the Weiliang/Breeze Audio copies are very close to the real thing which cost around $20,000.Except they are more like $300.Very natural,open and 3D sounding but also very high resolution without sounding sterile.Exactly how good preamps should sound but most don't.
Sleeper preamps: $500 new/used
Looking for tube or solid state pre with very good phono stage...willing to go used and go with an older model if sound quality is superior...any models come to mind?