brant nordlund of melos audio restorations has a melos maestro (retail $2300) for sale for $1k on audioreview. great tube sound, remote control for volume/balance, but yule need a fono-stage. there are also sha-gold references (precursors to the maestro), that usually go for ~$800. these are *excellent* preamps.
Tube Pre-amp beneficial?
Will a tube pre-amp "warm-up" my Martin Logan SL-3s if I am running a SS amp (Sunfire)? Or, do I need tubes throughout? I am currently using an Adcom GFP-565 in bypass mode, and I would like to upgrade the pre (staying under $1000) and add a remote, any recommendations from people with similar equipment would be appreciated.