Active pre-amp for “difficult” music (fusion)

Some types of music seem to have a good chance of sounding good on a variety of systems. But the jazz/rock fusion (recent recordings) I primarily listen to can be much more difficult to pull off. It is often sonically dense, and busy. There are often many overlaid, high impact, sonic layers competing within similar frequencies. Systems that would make sparse airy music by Norah Jones sound great are easily overwhelmed by fusion. It can become fatiguing, brash or garbled. I think pace, impact and clarity without brashness are more important than soundstage and microscopic detail for this music.

For the system I am building using Tekton Double Impacts and a Classe CA-2200 amp, my inclination was to use a volume controlled DAC (Burson Conductor v1, Swing or WFS DAC-2v2). But Eric Alexander has insisted that an active pre-amp is essential to properly drive a strong class AB amp that is initially class A with punch and impact.

There are many passive or buffered pre-amp recommended for neutrality (without mention of the type of music), but I suppose I’m looking for something that would desirably color the music I will be listening to. What are some active pre-amps that I should consider for this application? I’m thinking of around $1000 on the used market, but could be swayed to spend more.