Preamp for VPI Prime 21 turntable $300-800

VPI Shyla is essentially an Audio Technica ART series OEM cart. That being said, arguably  it's  a "sleeper" that is good as $3K+ models. With a good phonostage will sound like one too.

Your table/cart deserves a proper phonostage starting at $2500+ or so. Don't cheap out-you'll only be disappointed as to why you spent so muich on your setup and wondering what the fuss is about.

Something used originally up to $5K can found for half.

Of course it's all subjective, so you might hear something under $1K that sounds fine to you.

Precision Fidelity C2 tube preamp. I had a C7 back in The Days of Yore - $500! The phono stage to beat then was the new PS III from Paul & Stan. The C7 sounded so much better I traded in the PS III. The C7 was a tube phono stage (cascode circuit), no high-level stage and a selector switch/pair of 5Kohm pots on the front panel. The C8 added a transistor high-level stage.

The designer of the Precision Fidelity preamps was Bruce Moore. He also designed the Paragon 10, 12 and E preamps. Bruce went on to found MFA (Moore, Frankland , and Associates) specializing in tube gear. I think that the Moore tube gear can compete sonically with today's expensive - and overpriced - tube gear.

I have a copy of the Paragon 12 that Trevor Lees built in small quantities in Australia. Real nice tube preamp with two outboard power supplies - one per channel!

@jasonbourne52 

After reading many of your posts it seems that you have a storehouse of equipment.  Yet, you don’t post a system.  I get it.  Must be same reason that you never start a thread.  Anyway, appreciate your wide ranging experience with gear.