To all the respondents recommending and/or using 6SN7 based vacuum tube preamplifiers: try a set of Sylvania triangle plate 6SN7’s made in the late 1940’s and early 50’s. Something special, and in my experience, low microphonics (not always a given in octal base small signal tubes).
My recommendation would be the Luxman CL-38uC if you’re seeking a full featured tube preamplifier with bulletproof built quality and stunning retro looks. Transformer enabled balanced in’s and outs, a great phono stage with SUT coupled MC inputs, mono switch, variable turnover tone controls that can be bypassed, and a basic remote. I know it’s out of your budget, but considering what it includes, the Luxman CL-38uC is a great value sez Art Dudley in his Stereophile review.