Best preamp 2k or under, new or used


So, here's what I got...

Nht classic 4, McCormack dna1, McCormack rld1, jkdac32.

The speakers, amp, and dac, were items, that once placed in my system, I was 'done!'. I knew I found what I wanted out of each, and love all three.

Preamps, however, have been a problem. Here's what I've owned...

Parasound p3
Ps audio 7.0
Ps audio pca2
Rowland consonance
Wyred4sound stp-se
Classe cap151 (used a pre in the interim when preamps change)
McCormack rld1

The McCormack rld and classe 151 preamp sections come closest to the sound I want, which is less forceful, more effortless to my ears, fairly transparent, but both suffer from a slightly hard treble, and round under damped bass that has weight, but lacks extension. The wyred, parasound, and Pca2 sounded thin in my system. The Rowland I had high hopes for, and was probably the most disappointing, with a sound that sounded restricted on top and bottom. The ps audio 7.0, actually wasn't bad. Lacks transparency, but makes music. Problem is, with volume set to 2, it was too loud for late night listening.

So, here's the question. New or used, tube or solid state, does anyone know a good preamp in the 2k or under range that sounds open yet full, with smooth treble and good extended bass?

The only feature I want is remote control (I am not lazy, I just don't like to leave the spot I'm listening to music from).

Any suggestions supplied with some minimal input would be greatly appreciated.
backgroundblur
Backgroundblur, Yes, the Eastern Electric Avant is very good. I would encourage you to replace some tubes, you only have to do a few at first, maybe to a pair to match up with just input or better yet just one tube if you are using balanced inputs. EE should be able to help you with tube selection. Anyway, if you like the stock version of this preamp, tube rolling will improve it's performance even more.
OP -

if you want tubes - Conrad Johnson ET-3.

if you want solid state - McCormack.
There is one excellent Preamp that is constantly overlooked and that is the Onkyo P-3000R which lists for $1699.00. I recently had the pleasure to listen to this work of art with the M-5000R amp. Wow!!! The pristine crystal clarity is stunning. The echo/hall effect and 3-D imaging is first rate. Very smooth. Sounds like a tube Preamp. Comes with a built in DAC and phono stage and also a head phone jack. Under the hood you will find a toroidal and a block transformer. One is for power and the other for filtering. The Preamp has a very classy retro 80's look with a black satin front panel and knobs. The unit is heavy at just under 25 pounds. For its performance level and build quality, I doubt you will find any other Preamp on the market that will even come close at $2K or under. A steal...
Oops!..made a mistake. One transformer is for the analog stage and the other transformer is for the digital stage. The digital and analog signal travel completely separate paths from in to out..