Preamp Necessary?

There is a previous thread on this topic in the Sound Advice section titled "CD direct to Amp," but, in brief, yes, all you need to go direct to amp is a CD player with variable outputs/volume control. You can get a used Sony XA7ES in that price range, just as an example.

another exapmle (and just a bit north of $2000) is wadia's 830. it should be coming down a bit as the introduction of the 831 is just around the corner. there is a good selection out there. as daddyo suggested, take a look at that other posting. it is pretty exhaustive and, as you'll read, some people have pretty divergent opinions. as always, experiment and trust your own ears.

Resolution Audio CD50, used for around $1600.