I have a Pass x250.5 AB model and had good results with both my Cary SLP-98 and older Forte F44 preamps.
At your budget you may want to consider saving on cable costs and add those later. Adding cables later as a stand-alone change is a great way to test/listen and determine to what extent (if any) they actually improve the sound.
At your budget you may want to consider saving on cable costs and add those later. Adding cables later as a stand-alone change is a great way to test/listen and determine to what extent (if any) they actually improve the sound.