A good 2ch preamp?

I third the recomendation for the used Gfp-750.And mates nicely if you ver need power with the 5802 (300 watt) amp.The CD player means a true balanced signal path all the way through.Also can't remember the dodel number but NAD (118?) used has balanced signal path and can be mated with the 218THXamp @225 wpc.If you have the taste for it (like natural mids and can deal with softer bass and rollled off highs) saving up and dropiing $1500 on a CJ,VTL,Rogue etc intergrated amp gives most audiophile bang for buck.The VTL has 85 wpc and since tubes clip soft it's like 150 wpc versus a SS amp.Really cheap would be an old passive Adcom SLC control box if your amp is big enough and your sources have enough gain.But go into debt it's patriotic to keep the economy pumped up.

P.S another good choice would be a a CJ PV10 or 12 tube preamp.Will soften any harshness of a SS and give you the goods.PV10's can be had for $450-650 add a couple of hundred for the PV12.Pre-amps can give tht great tube sound but the tubes don't need to be biased and last 2to 3 times longer than power/output tubes of a power amp.

Like Natalie, I recommend that you make the stretch. Today I saw an Audible Illusions Modulus 3 (not 3a) on Audiogon for $700. I owned that preamp until I got a Meridian 518 digital controller that gives me volume control of my dac. It's killer. The only slight downside to that pre is that it doesn't go aaaall the way down below about 30 hz. If you're planning to get speakers that don't go that low you'll be fine.
Another alternative. If you're going for a cd-only system, you might want to consider a cd player with a volume control and eliminate the pre-amp altogether.
A caution about your room. If you're planning to use homosote as a sound-proofing material, all I can say is that I know of two bad experiences with homosote (it's that stuff that looks like 3/4 inch-thick cardboard). In the first, it was put in an amateur-built vocal sound booth for recording. In the other, it was used as soundproofing in a dedicated listening room like the one you plan to build. In both cases, it created a very nasty, almost metallic sounding slap-echo (clap your hands and the echo sounded like you were in a metal tank). Do a little research about matierials for your listening room, and happy listening!

If you want to stay with your amp for now, you may want to try an inexpensive tube preamp. Check out AMC, Antique sound labs, Sound Valves or maybe even a used Dynaco PAS.

Paul: Is the preamp that you are thinking of the FT Audio unit which retails for $500? This is the one that had interested me.