Need a good used tube pre $1500 or less

A Audible Illusions Modulus 3a sounds great and has a phono stage if you need one. If you don't need phono, mebbe a conrad johnson Prenier 14 would do it for you.

C/J pv14 is excellant and has remote.

i had the Audible Illusions Modulus 3a. My first venture into higher end pre-amps. i liked it alot. i have since moved up to a Conrad Johnson PV12 (i wanted the phono stage) and thought it was a big step up from the Modulus 3a. i'm now ready to move up to a better Conrad Johnson pre-amp. For my ears they are sweet and musical (whatever that means) and my experience with their service department also helped sell me on the company. when i first got my PV12 (through audiogon) there was a problem. The guy at CJ spent a lot of time with me on the phone trying to solve the problem without my having to send the unit into them even though i had bought a used piece and not through a CJ dealer. Don't think you can go wrong with the CJ stuff. If you don't need the phono, as others have said, i'd probably go for the better Premier 14.

There is a Blue Circle BC21.1 pre on Audiogon. Excellent value for the money, and a considerable upgrade from the BC21 - which is a pretty good preamp in it's own right. Mind you, a BC3 Despina at $1500 is an even better deal if you can find one - and there have been a couple...