Upgrading preamp. Best for under $1K

@jeffrey125 ,

Had, and lamented selling it.

Put a couple of nos 12au7's in it- especially Amperex-and it sounds better than it has any right to for the price. They are a real bargain used.

I believe there is a very nice used one for sale on the other site for $650. 

Well, well worth it.

Never mind, it got snapped up!

+++ for the Akitika 102.  Running it with Elekit TU8600S 300b based SET amp - gorgeous sound.

Have you considered going the minimalistic route (aka a passive preamp)?

Here’s a review of one that meets your budget: The Truth Review

@ highend 64 the following quoted info is from a thread I posted on not too far back.

I have seen you have not rejected the idea of a DIY Build and after reading your description for your preferred balance of across the frequencies and produced  sonic, if I have got the interpretation correct.

As a result of having become quite familiar with this design in use, and partnered with both Tube and SS Power Amp's. I strongly suggest the Pass KB1 Pre - Amp will be quite fitting for your needs. 

Note: The KB1 has a 'version of a Tetrode Tube' which is a Korg Nutube, this part is a modern approach to a Thermionic Tube usage for a pre-amp.

Note: The KB1 is not producing a sonic with a hint of Richness it is Transparent and very revealing of the wholeness of the embedded data within a recording.

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"There was a want to bring in a New Pre Amp, where money was not too much of a constraint for a purchase option on a New Pre Amp' for the owner of the exchanged model EAR Power Amp.

The monies available for the Pre Amp' was working towards £7K, which shares a similarity to your own situation.

A host of Pre Amp's were available for Home Demo's of which one was the EAR 868. Out of the Commercial Pre's being demo'd the EAR was the one that impressed the most.

Note: The 868 is not a Lush or Rich Toned Pre Amp, it has clarity and detail retrieval with unnoticeable smearing affecting the micro details.

Here is a curve ball, there was also at the Pre Amp Demo's, a PASS KB1 Pre Amp present, and it delivered in a manner that was not easy to overlook.

It was also commanding a cost that was very very attractive, and suggested methods to upgrade were also made known and the cost that would be needed to include these.

The EAR owner has chosen the Pass KB1 as their Pre Amp and a few other Valve Power Amp owners within the Group are also using the Pass KB1.

At present I am having a Balanced Design of the Pre Amp' produced to couple to my monoblock Power Amp's. 

A Pass KB1 can be acquired for a very respectable outlay. If it does not deliver to your preference, it will sell on and a valuable experience will have been encountered."

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As an Update, there are KB1's now in use with a few changes to the basic build, where Volume Controls and a few Cap's have been exchanged.

These versions with well known, but carefully thought out tweaks to the Circuit are standout over the earlier guises experienced. The Tweaks come in at no more that £150 if a certain value of VC is selected as the exchange part.