CATSL1 best pre under 3K?

Herron is not IMO in the same league as the CAT. YMMV.

I'm very familiar with the CAT preamp and have heard it in different friend's
systems over the years. For a bit more money(used) the TRL DUDE and the

Coincident Statement Line stage are significantly better sounding.
Dvdgrdco, this is just my personal listening experience and nothing more.
Subjectivity is the rule and you'll get a diverse range of responses. It always
depends on what type of sound you're seeking. The CAT could be ideal for
your taste.Ifpossible audition the two I mentioned and see for yourself. The
VAC Signature is also better sounding than the CAT IMO but even used will
be well above your stated price range.
Good Luck,
Charles,

Dvdgreco, Charles1dad brings up a good point. Subjectivity is the rule and there will be a diverse range of responses. His advice to always audition if possible is spot on. I can tell you from my perspective and likes, the TRL and the Coincident Line stage wouldn't be my favorite at all. Frankly, I wouldn't give them house room, so there's one divergent response, LOL. Compared to the CAT, they are far less dynamic and resolving...BUT this is all IMHO.
Remember, that the ancillary gear will also have an effect on what one hears- along with ones pre-conceptions. Charles1dad clearly likes a certain sound, I like another. It's all good.

Ironically,
What I found more appealing with the 3 preamps I listed earlier are superior dynamics, tonality/harmonic development and they sound more natural and less mechanical. Again you'll have to listen and judge by "your" standards.

Here is the other irony. Depending on the ancillary gear...source,amps, speakers and the room; I believe that almost all gear can be made to sound different than in a synergistic set-up. In my experience, and with an analog front end, the CAT sounded more as I described than the TRL or the Coincident. At the time, was this due to the phono preamp stage that was used with the other two preamps, was it the amp/preamp pairing, the speakers, the room, the cabling, the source or?? Could this have been the circumstance when Charles1dad heard the CAT and then the other two preamps, great synergy with the two he likes- and less so with the CAT....I believe that may well be the case.