Tube Preamps.....


I am running 2 GFA 565 Musical Comcepts modded Amps with Vandersteen 2ce v2. I am looking for a good quality tube preamp. With or without a built in dac. Should I stick with shopping for a used Mac? Or should I look at others also. Suggestions? Like to keep it under $3000. Could stretch to 3500. Thanks for your input. 
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I would concur with recomondarions on preamps based with 6SN7 tubes. There is something special about this tube type, and there is (relatively speaking) a great selection of old tubes that you can roll with terrific sonic changes. Something SS will never do.
The 6SN7 is more linear tube than its miniature counterpart the 12AU7 (although the 6CG7 and 12BH7 are nearly the same tube in the taller miniature format) and has less microphonics than the 6DJ8 and its brethren, which includes the 6H30. It is one of the best tubes you can use in a line stage.
@br3098 I am telling what the technician at CJ (Jeff, I believe) told me. I talked about sending my line stage classic 2 SE to get  phono stage put in. I was asking him if I should just upgrade to the 3 and he said "why? its the same circuit with a remote control added to it" He asked me to stick with the classic and just get a phono stage to go with it unless I wanted the remote. He also said the phono stage they add to the 3 and 2 is the TEA2 circuit.
shrapnel, if that's what the tech at CJ told you then it must be true.  But I will add that I have owned the ET2, Classic and CT6 preamps (amongst other CJ models) and I will tell you for a fact that the design, parts and layout for these three preamps are completely different, as is the sound signature.  YMMV
@br3098 I see, I haven't so I will take your word for it. Either way, in my opinion, CJ gear is simply awesome.