Best solid state pre-amp below US $ 10.000,00 ??

Frankpiet, I guess you should expect such greatly divergent views given the broad nature of your request. I think that some of the units recommended here are second rate, at least in my system. What it really comes down to is great diversity of tastes, limited exposure to the variety of available products, and the need for personal confidence that you have bought the right unit. You will unfortunately have to try to listen to these yourself if you can. Life is hard!

Thanks a lot so far for your very kind thoughts. I´ll start to audition by the end of next week several pre´s in my system - strangely some dealers strongly recommend to add the optional line-stage module to the Audio Aero Capitole cdp. as it is said to even outperform the Hovland the Ayre and the CAT which I will audition next weekend.
Can anybody prove that statement to be right or wrong?

In respect of Burmester - forget these amps - they do not reproduce music. Spectral I´ve heard - great but only in a true Spectral system with MIT cables. Lamm I can´t comment on as they have not been on my short list so far. The most positive feelings out of the forums I currently have with the Ayre K-1X Evolution - but that is unbiased as I haven´t heard the unit personnaly.

I had the linestage feature within the Audio Aero Prima DAC (the same as used in the Capitole) I used to own. I ran it as a preamp for a short while, and I can tell you that it is no match for any of the quality preamps you mention above, or my current fave, the DeHavilland UltraVerve.

Frankpiet, the pre-amps that I compared the Placette to were, ML-32 reference, Weytech Opal linestage, Hovland, Lamm reference, and Ayre. None of them were bad by any means, but with my gear synergy was the best with the Placette and matched my personnal taste. As far as the Placette website, just go to the manufacturer's list here on the GON and it will give you the address. Hope this helps.

Teajay: thanks a lot. I´ve just send an email to them - and got already a reply - very nice. Will follow up on that.

1markr: I´ve just spoken to the german distributor of AA. He told me, that the optional line-stage module in the AA offers the maximum in sonics to be achieved as the complete audio signal of the AA Cap. runs through the internal line stage - to him an external pre-amp would only add colouration to the signal - sounds a bit bizare...