Tubeyist sounding Pre-amp?

I agree with everything bpoletti references above. If it is a "tubey" sound that you are looking for you can’t really take the amp out of the picture. With that in mind a musical signal driven by a KT88 valve can give most preamps the tubey sound your seek. An original old stock Dynaco PAS pre/MK III amp will satisfy your quest for a dark, muddy, milky, thick, gooey......etc, etc musical signal. Needless to say tube amplification has come a long way in the last 50 years. Just one reason these have all been updated and modded. By avoiding neutrality you are adding (and some like it!) euphonics.

Are there tube haters here?
Some tube designs add colorations. Some can sound more neutral.
 example...
tubey; Jolida, older CJ
neutral; Rogue Audio

I guess it depends on if you are looking for the absolute sound, or if you seek a certain timbre in your system.

Are there tube haters here?

All depends how they are used, their are some that are designed with purposely induced 2nd harmonic distortions, that fit the OP's description of "Tubeyist". Then there are some that strive them so clean as the emulate S/S. 

Cheers George

Tube Haters key in on the negative aspects of tube amplification: Great, fat, bloated, lacking transparency like trying to read fine print through a layer of mud while wearing a welder's mask

and fell that tendency is worse than the benefits of a warm, liquid, honeyed, smooth sound.

The trick is to get lots of the latter while minimizing the former subjective qualities.

Anything that does that for say $500??

I am going to go to bed tonight and have " tubey" dreams. Will get back with you on which preamplifier fills the bill.

Best
Jim