EAR 834 linestage...$700-$850 used for the chrome version which is heavier, more substantial in construction and sounds better than the black box. NOS RCAs or Philips 12AU7s and this is a great sounding piece.
Preamp new/used under $900
Hey...I have a Rotel 971, NAD 314 (used as a pre), Classe Audio Seventy, and a pair of Hales Rev. twos. I don't want a pre that is warm, soft or laidback sounding. I would like the system to stay neutral erring on the side of cool. A pre that can help resolve very dense/processed electric guitar like Ministry would be super cool. Right now the dense music sounds a little mushy. right now im dense and little mushy too. A big soundstage is also a priority, but im not sure if preamps in this price range will vary much in that respect. Thanx ..im tired and hope at least half of the sentences make sense.