Sleeper preamps: $500 new/used

Accuphase C-200

Arcam Alpha 9 preamp is exactly what you're looking for.

This is the Adcom GFP-565 in spades. Closer to $325 used. Very highly regarded phono stage. Mine's gone to a new home!

I purchased a used MFA Magus A in 1995 - never gotten rid of it. I use it exclusively as a phono stage now as the Conrad Johnson's of the world have overtaken it's line stage. In 2003, I had Scott Frankland redo it - new capacitors, new pots, new jacks, modifications to the power supply etc.

It responds well to tube choice. For the 12AT7, use a Amperex or Mullard. ECC801S or 6201 can be used as well. The 12AX7's should be Electroharmonix or Mullard. ECC 83 can be used, particularly the Telefunken. Also good are 5751's from Jan Phillips or Raytheon. Military spec 5751's are much cheaper and more plentiful - Sylvania, Raytheon, or RCA.

It's great with a CJ Premier 16, ET3 or 5. It can grow with you. Someday I'll get a Wavestream Kinetics or TEA 1 but until then, the Magus is great.

The APT 1 designed by Thom Holman (also known for a little project he did for George Lucas called 'THX'). He pretty much nailed phono stage design around 1980. Not to mention the most useful preamp controls ever, including a proper subsonic filter (an absolute necessity with modern ported speakers), adjustable phono loading, a channel blend that fixes a lot of imaging issues and actual usable tone controls.