Tube Preamp - What to buy?

Unless you can get one of the above name brand pieces used you can see if you can get something from the Backert labs line used. But all that may be a stretch. Integrated would be a good way to go. But if you are happy with your amp, for a starter tube preamp you can’t go wrong with a Schiit Freya+. You will be way under budget and have some money remaining to get a better than starter used phono stage. 

@tvad @millercarbon I need to jump in and provide an alternative viewpoint. I own a Raven Blackhawk 3.1. It is a terrific integrated amp. Not only is it driving my 88dB 4Ohm Magico A3 towers super well. But I also have high level sub cables attached to the Raven binding posts tapping off signal to a pair of REL T/9is. There are plenty of dynamics, detail, imaging, soundstage. Everything we want. This amp has so far made my PrimaLuna Dialogue Premium HP with EL34s sit lonely and disconnected in a corner. My solid state amps are wondering what happened to me. My Pass Labs XP-20 is wondering if she is going to see her photo on Audiogon. There is NOT insufficient power in this amp, unless their listening room is Madison Square Garden! That is absurd. If I turned this thing up to 12 o’clock I would blow my head off!! I think @b_limo needs to check something else in their house and or system. Maybe get the wax out of their ears. But also check the tubes. But this Raven has plenty of power. Last thing I will say is I am glad I got the Blackhawk and not the Osprey. The Osprey would have been overkill to the extreme and a waste of money. My Raven Blackhawk isn’t going anywhere. My PrimaLuna? Well we shall see…

This is peripherally related to the OP, but in follow up to my post above, I just switched out the Raven Blackhawk Mk3.1 and replaced it with one of the years biggest hifi bargains IMO the Boyuurange A50 Mk3 300B SET integrated amp. Now I got done playing the Raven Blackhawk today through a Steely Dan list and played it, for me, relatively loud. The Raven is super articulate and has plenty of power. I love that amp. Now granted it is nighttime and I am playing the Boyuurange A50 at lower SPLs, but even at low levels this baby can image! I think, yes, possibly better than the Raven. Yes I said it. Now I will confirm tomorrow when I play the A50 at similarly loud levels with the Steely Dan playlist and some others. But tonight I felt the Donald Fagan was on his Fender Rhodes right in front of me in the room. Bill Evan’s trio? Same thing. The holographic soundstage and imaging this A50 produces is amazing and addictive. Is it the A50 or is this typical of all 300B SET amps? But at $883.20 with the current 5% off coupon on Amazon, no other 300B can beat this. Take another 5% off if you have a Prime credit card and it just keeps getting better. Just amazing, and amazing for the dollar. I think this is a really instructive pair of amps. The SET 300B A50 and the push pull Raven Blackhawk Mk3. More to come when I crank the A50 tomorrow. But meanwhile, if you have a little less than $900 plus sales tax burning a hole in your pocket, I can’t think of a better way to use this cash than on this Boyuurange A50 Mk3 300B SET Integrated from Amazon. Which leads me to another recent bargain of 2021, the Sony SSCS5 bookshelf speakers. These are currently $148 on Amazon. But recently I picked up a pair for only $73! If these go back to $73 and you pair them to the A50, that is a little killer system for no money. Just fill in with a digital front end and some cables and that is a nice system with some main pieces that are bargains for the SQ and the money.