What's the best preamp for under 1000

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 The 'A' is obsolete...The "B' is much more musicial.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.

I'd add the Audio Research SP-9 to the list if a phono stage is needed. All versions can be had for less than $1000, I would go for the latest MK III which is the best sounding but a little harder to find (there was one listed recently in the $800-900 range). When it comes to relaible service, holding value, and of course good sound Audio Research is a good choice. Of course there's nothing wrong with any of the other recommendations. As has been said many a time the best is very system dependent!