Preamp for manley snappers


I am in search for a preamp without phono stage for my manley snappers. I have tried audible illusions,art audio,first sound and tron seven and VTL 6.5. They were all lent to me for audition by friends. Of all the units i auditioned it is only the 6.5 that had me smiling but the price is just so expensive i have to look somewhere else. My budget is around 4k dollars. Friends suggested the modwright 9.0 or the 36.5 but i dont have access to any demos of these units. Any suggestions are welcome.
csr827
Member Face has a good point, why not go for a Manley pre? They're seems to be great synergy within the line, so I read!
I owned a pair of Snappers a few years back and drove them with a Bat VK3i, Audible illusions, and a Joule LA100 Mk3.
The Joule was my favorite out of this group.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for your replies. I will be auditioning a vtl 5.5 tonight and hope it goes near the sound of the 6.5 as the price is within reach. More suggestions are welcome!
Will the shrimp be as good as the vtl 6.5? As of now im looking at a preamp that would sound as nice as the vtl 6.5 but at the 4000 price level.
I always felt that the Snappers sounded better, more open, through the XLR inputs!
The plus with the VTL 5.5 is the fact that it has XLR outputs.
Definitely worth a try.
Good luck with your audition, and post your opinions when you get a chance.