Vintage (perhaps new ones) McIntosh preamps have MODE switches, they are terrific, offering MONO, STEREO, and several other modes that are very helpful when balancing your system. I have owned these 2:
SS, C28, in your budget
https://www.ebay.com/itm/McIntosh-C-28-STEREO-PREAMP-Works-Great/324331791574?hash=item4b83ae64d6:g:...
TUBES: mx110z over your budget, but modes are shown bottom right
https://www.ebay.com/itm/133528823768
........................................
Let me say this about MONO LP, which I learned here this year.
C28, I used the MONO mode for many years, playing mono lps with my stereo cartridge, thinking, how lucky I am to have this feature. I was playing ’dual mono’ into my pair of speakers, normally located for stereo. You are talking about real mono into one speaker.
Next I learned here, a real Mono cartridge is better.
mx110z: I got a mono cartridge, and compared either mono cartridge or stereo cartridge in mono mode. results vary relative to the recordings: mono cartridge better, much better, or a whole lotta better.
https://www.ortofon.com/hifi/cartridges-ranges/true-mono/
So, whatever erroneous info the stereo cartridge created/let thru was duplicated by the preamp in both channels, both speakers.
sooo, think about a mono cartridge, think about the future now.
I'll try playing a CD via Mono Mode later, see if I learn anything helpful.
SS, C28, in your budget
https://www.ebay.com/itm/McIntosh-C-28-STEREO-PREAMP-Works-Great/324331791574?hash=item4b83ae64d6:g:...
TUBES: mx110z over your budget, but modes are shown bottom right
https://www.ebay.com/itm/133528823768
........................................
Let me say this about MONO LP, which I learned here this year.
C28, I used the MONO mode for many years, playing mono lps with my stereo cartridge, thinking, how lucky I am to have this feature. I was playing ’dual mono’ into my pair of speakers, normally located for stereo. You are talking about real mono into one speaker.
Next I learned here, a real Mono cartridge is better.
mx110z: I got a mono cartridge, and compared either mono cartridge or stereo cartridge in mono mode. results vary relative to the recordings: mono cartridge better, much better, or a whole lotta better.
https://www.ortofon.com/hifi/cartridges-ranges/true-mono/
So, whatever erroneous info the stereo cartridge created/let thru was duplicated by the preamp in both channels, both speakers.
sooo, think about a mono cartridge, think about the future now.
I'll try playing a CD via Mono Mode later, see if I learn anything helpful.