Help. What phono preamp to buy?

Jctubes:
Can one get a used Vinyl 1 for under $1000?? New, they run over $2500, I think.

Snooker:
There was a phono stage shooutout in the Sept/Oct "Listener." It was still on the shelf at Borders a couple of weeks ago. They looked at the Vinyl 1, Linn Linto, Creek, and something else.

There is thread after thread on this. I know it's time consuming to search for them all and read them. One reason for so many threads is because there are so many opinions. The "perfect" or "best" phono stage is as mythical a creature as the Holy Grail.

Best thing to do is find a good audio dealer. 99% of them will let you take home a demo for listening. My dealer allows a week (or more). The great thing about demos is they have some hours on them already and are likely to be burned in.

Some good suggestions by other posters here. Others in your price range (and best value is to buy used):

EAR 834P (if you like tubes)
Blue Circle BC-23
Plinius Jarrah
Naim Stageline (they make two, one for MM and one for MC)

I have the same cartridge and use a CAT SL-1 signature with VTL Tiny Triodes and Quad 57 speakers. I have plenty of gain and recommend its sound qualities.

Find a used Sonic Frontiers Phono One. Clasa A Stereophile, $2000 new but probably half that used. Great detail and authority with tube palpability. I keep trying other phono stages, being tempted by the latest hot item, but then I return to the SF and I'm floored by the clarity and beauty of my LP sound.

Wow! Thanks for all the responses. This gives me plenty to research. In answer to a couple of suggestions: there is only one dealer in my area (rural Vermont). Also, before I started this thread, I read every thread in the analogue section that mentioned Phono Pre-amps or Benz-Micro. I realized that some of you would be able to match my cartridge to those phono stages which would work well with it, because you know a lot more about analogue than I.
As usual, the more I read, the more I learn. Thanks again for the responses.

Cpdunn99- On the used market, the AAVO goes for about 1/2 retail, so it's a little over your desired 1K. However, the elimination of a pre-amp and an IC should help justify the extra expenditure. I think the "full option" unit is around 2700 retail. Good luck with you search.