recommendations of phono preamps < $3000 range

my 2 cents --

in analog front end it is all about finding synergy relative to your system... are you looking for ... better imaging? smoother highs? better bass or jump factor? lower noise floor?

my experience:

- if u have a dynavector cart u owe it to urself try a p75 in PE mode... there is special synergy there, the effect can be utterly utterly brilliant despite that unassuming little box ... can come across as a little bright for lean systems

- rega aria very nice unit ... excellent detail and imaging with drive - injects a bit of roundness and body to the proceedings so not truly straight wire with gain... like a good tube added into chain with it actually being the case

- ayre p5xe ... super suave and sophisticated/smooth but still super transparent if a teeny bit sterile and lean.... dead dead dead quiet, balanced mode a plus if u can use it

- arc ph3se - brilliant, holographic imaging and glow, while still providing drive and jump... but gain profile can be limiting

- mockingbird jasmine 2.5 du hot rod by philip holmes - very very sweet well rounded unit with lots of gain... tremendous bargain at its bargain price, real giant killer ... slightly rounded sound with good drive, images a little smaller and a little noise in high gain mode

- musical surroundings nova phonomena - quiet quiet but sterile and diminishes drive 

i have stuck with units with plenty of gain (ph3se exception), well above 63 db...

hope this helps

Jimpittsburgh:

Did you buy the Pass after auditioning it? 

If I hadn’t wanted and bought a tube phono amp, I would have gotten myself the Liberty B2B. Really quiet, with the highest overload margin I’ve ever seen (take a look at Atkinson’s bench test report in Stereophile). According to Michael Fremer, a very "dynamic" sounding phono amp. My kinda sound!---I favour London cartridges. I may still get one; I'm putting together a second table (with the very interesting Trans-Fi Transformer arm), and a separate amp for it may be wise.

My brother has the Southerland and I have the Decware ZP3. Both are absolutely amazing. You really can't go wrong with either approach. I have attached links to the ZP3 and a review. Both have very low noise floors, the ZP3 is scary quiet for tubes.

http://www.decware.com/newsite/ZP3.htm
http://www.tonepublications.com/MAGPDF/TA_074.pdf

Had an avid pulsus that I really liked. Very dynamic and punchy. 

Then went to a zesto andros. Phenoninal!

You can get a used one for a great pride well under your limit.