Best Preamp for me

As long as you are not looking to fix any problems with the upgrade (a good thing in my opinion), then here's a few recommendations.

Solid State: Ayre K5, an ML to match your amp, and maybe a Rowland or McIntosh SS, but with either of those you'll really need to try them in your system first. The Ayre would be my first pick.

Tube: Aesthetix Caplyso, Whatever BAT is in your price range, same thing with ARC but its a must audition in your system. The Aesthetic would be my first pick.

Due to the equipment you list, I left out anything single ended. Also, have you ever tried connecting your Esoteric directly to your amp? I know that you may not want to go without a preamp, but depending on how it sounds direct, may help you select the right preamp.

If you want to stay SS, I would strongly encourage you to try and listen to a Klyne 7 series preamp if you can.

I really like the McIntosh C2300 or C2500 depending on your needs..If your willing to drop some bells and whistles, a Modwright SWL 9.0 used or a new LS100. Also, I really like the Manley Jumbo Shrimp or the Manley labs 300B! What amazing sound! partnered with a great solid state amp like you have would be a great match, keep an eye on impedance matching ..it does matter. the output of the pre should be 10 times or even greater apart than the amps input impedance. Example... 200ohm output from a pre into a 20,000ohm or HIGHER amp input is best to look for.

Save your money. Rogue Audio

We have similar eclectic musical tastes. I also have a Levinson (331), Transparent cables throughout and use Wilson Sophia 3 speakers. I went with the McIntosh C2500 and am very pleased. Not only do the tubes add musicality, but the preamp has a great DAC and is a swiss army knife of connectivity to future proof your system. It's also just inside your price range. You could also look at AR preamps. They're also excellent. Mark