Need Tube Preamp Warmth


I’m looking for recommendations for a tube preamp with a warm presentation, good soundstaging and imaging, and low-end extension.
It will replace my Rogue Perseus Magnum, which is a detailed, neutral sounding preamp with a great amount of extension in the highs. Even using Mullard Longplates, I’m not getting the sound I want.

The preamp is paired with a Sunfire 300 which has an input impedance of 42 kOhms and input sensitivity of 1.64V. (Single-ended).

The rest of my system is comprised of:
ARC CD3 mk II
Linn Axis TT
Gallo CL-3 speakers
Purist Audio Aqueous speaker cables
Cardas Parsec ICs
Audience PowerChords

The ideal preamp will reproduce classical music in an organic and natural way. (Not looking for vintage).
My budget is $2000 to $2500 used. Any help is much appreciated.
128x128lowrider57
There is an Emotive Sira listed on here now that fits your budget. I heard my friends- really nice sound.
While not as 'tubey' as the CJ offerings, I'm extremely impressed with the Modwright SWL9.0SE I picked up a few months ago. After some tube rolling, I settled on Amperex 7119 Pinched, which moved things tonally in the 'tubey' direction. Sounds absolutely fantastic to me.
Thanks for the heads-up Jackmonster, I've made inquiries to the seller. An all-tube preamp of that pedigree would be ideal.

Reviews state that it does not have classic tube warmth, but makes each recording sound very natural and lifelike.

I also like what I'm reading about the VTL TL-5.5 Preamp. A dual mono design, it's described as as "three dimensional, with precise instrumental images, a top-end which was neither etched or analytical."
I don't like that it uses 12AX7's in the linestage which can be noisy.

As far as CJ, it's hard to figure out which models have their best classic dynamic tube sound (Premier 14/16??), and when they changed to a more detailed design.
Any advice on CJ is welcome, but I'm not looking to buy vintage and have to refurbish it.
Lowrider based on your system and the fact that you don't list a phono stage as being required but don't list the phono stage you are currently using the question would be do you require a pre-amp with a phono stage? Of course if looking for a line stage only I would DEFINITELY consider the Premier 16 over the 14. It's topography is similar to the ART which is considered by many CJ afficionados as their best effort. While I've heard the GAT pre and ART amps in an unfamiliar system I certainly can't comment in any meaningful way that would help you in determining when CJ went to a more "neutral" presentation. To me it was unmistakable CJ sound having owned both a PV7 and PV5 back in the 80's and listening to CJ based systems over the years.

To my ears, CJ has an unmistakable house sound. While they may have followed the road of "neutrality" (whatever it means depending on who you talk to) over the years, the sound is CJ, more detailed and less opaque than their vintage products. My recommendation to possibly consider vintage would be if you require a phono stage and could get the right unit with sufficient power supply which would make it viable option based on my recent experience and having listened to numerous pre-amps in my system and a willingness but reluctance to pay up to 6K new/used to get what I was looking for.

If you require a LS only and want to retain the characteristics of the CJ sound from the 80's - early 90's but improved detail, the Premier 16 should be an excellent choice. Since YOU mentioned CJ at the outset and listen to acoustic/orchestral music I think it would be the safest choice but stay with the Premier line with the bigger power supplies, THIS makes all the difference in the long run for BIG music IME. It's better to go used for a better preamp with greater potential than entry level new or slightly used in your budget range.