My first tube preamp was a CJ 16ls 2 that I ran into a Mark Levinson 336 amp. It replaced a Krell SS KRC preamp and I was very happy with the sound - much smoother and more detailed.
The 16LS 2 is a great choice if you can find one used, although it is picky on interconnects and my understanding is it does not do well with long runs.
I ended up selling the Levinson and going to lower power Cary Tube amp which the CJ also did very well with.
I used 1 meter Synergistic Designer Reference (top of the line from early 2000s) RCA cables and was very happy with this setup for many years.
I most recently upgraded to a CJ GAT, which surprisingly, was not a quantum improvement over the 16LS 2.
The 16LS 2 is a great choice if you can find one used, although it is picky on interconnects and my understanding is it does not do well with long runs.
I ended up selling the Levinson and going to lower power Cary Tube amp which the CJ also did very well with.
I used 1 meter Synergistic Designer Reference (top of the line from early 2000s) RCA cables and was very happy with this setup for many years.
I most recently upgraded to a CJ GAT, which surprisingly, was not a quantum improvement over the 16LS 2.