Upgrading pre amp advice.

@vthokie83 ​​@dogearedaudio : I took a look at the website of Tubes4HiFi (really interesting, but none them where balanced)

@jdub39 : thanks for this additional info

Someone experiences/reflections on the SPL Selecter??

@vhond 

I am not familiar with your Bryston (or much of the rest of your rig for that matter), so I make these suggestions with caveat...

Might be worth looking at a used Zesto. I have several clients that have these and love them. The one I’ve heard was excellent. There was one I was considering on US Audiomart not long ago within your budget, I think. If I remember correctly it had balanced in’s and out’s.

Might also be worth looking at a VAC Standard Preamp. There was one with a phono stage on Reverb for $2K. Not balanced I don’t think but a very nice pre-amp for the price. You can sometimes see the VAC Renaissance pre-amps pop up that are still relatively close to your budget.

Good luck.

You might also consider the Pro-Ject Pre Box RS2 Digital, which has a small form factor yet has dual ESS Sabre 9038 DACs, a solid-state headphone amp, a selectable tube output stage (for speakers,  solid-state also selectable from the settings menu) with 4x 6922s, a relatively large choice of filters, remote, I2S for connection to ProJect's premium CD transport, digital inputs AES, S/PDIF coax and optica (2)l, USB, BT, and analog inputs, XLR and unbalanced. It is in your budget. The casework is aluminum plate. I have two of these now, one in service with Buchardt actives and the other with passives and a NAD C298 Purifi power amplifier. 

You are from Europe, so many of the suggestions make no sense as the brands will not be available here. Better look for high-end German, French or Italian brands used, like Symphonic Line, Valvet, Gold Note, YBA. Recently I bought a used MFE Tube One SE preamp for a good price. Couldn't be happier. 

Perhaps, consider having your current pre re-worked?  I see it has tantalums in the buffer stages.  Tantalums are fast, and whoever decided it needs them probably had a goal in mind that doesnt agree with your hearing.  Maybe replace the tantalums with electrolytics to slow it down and give it more musical sound.  If you dont like it you can have tantalums put back