What's the best preamp for under 1000

If you want passive the Placette is the way to go. However for a simple (no remote) pre amp with high quality sound look at the EAR 834L - its a tube preamp w/out phono - it uses three tubes and the tubes last a long time. Harry Pearson of TAS gave it high marks. I've used one for about 3 years - no problems. Tonally it sounds much like my ARC SP10. I've seen them sell used for 600 to 750 on Agon.

Conrad Johnson PV10B with phono stage. This is a tube preamp...entry level into the CJ family. I owned one, fell in love with CJ products, and now have upgraded to all CJ products. I know you can get one on Audiogon for under a grand. Verify the serial number with Knut at CJ. The 10A and 10B look the same. The 'A' is obsolete...The "B' is much more musicial. One warning though. There is no balance control on this series.
Regards,

if you want to go tube,the conrad johnson pv10A is a great bargain at about $600 used.the phono stage is top notch for the bucks also.i have had mine for a year now and just recently had it upgraded to pv10B{$350}.all in all i couldn't be happier.my total investment was $950.

I think a used Sonic Frontiers Line 1 is a good choice. It is not as transparent as the Placette (but almost) BUT, you get ALL the features one could possibly want in this price range and more. A cool, round aluminium remote. H/T loop, phase inversion, mono switch, configurable inputs, and the list goes on and on. The exact same chassis, solid build and styling as the $5K Line 3, and it's an easy choice. I am finished buying high-end gear at high-end prices that do not come with a minimum of conveniences and adjustements....

I also recommend the CJ PV10B. I started with a 10A loved it and ultimately ended up with a CJ premier 16 series II.