There are a few exceptional companies out there that make very good products for the price, but for the most part, you get what you pay for in electronics. If you spent a certain amount of money on the amp, I would mate it with something that was close in price. To get the best for the price does require extra effort and research, but it will be worth it. You may end up overpaying (pre-amp)for something that will make very little, if any, difference in your system because of the lesser price of your amp. If you spent a huge amount of money on the pre-amp, but a lot less on your amp, you will probably wonder what a better amp would sound like with the pre-amp and so on and so on and may be continually wanting to update.
