Best head amp of the market ?

I use a Thorens head-amp — not their recent crop of phono ancillaries, an oldie-but-goodie, over 30 years old. It's very compact, and quite "pretty". They made it as a plug-in module to fit into an EMT broadcast console. I found it on a trip to Johannesburg, where it had been used for SABC FM broadcasts. It has two gain settings: 22 and 32 dB (and Bypass). It came with a 12V wall-wart but that was an improvisation — its original power supply was inside the console — and I found batteries to be an improvement. It's dead-silent even at full gain, as quiet as a SUT. I see them occasionally online — rare, but affordable.

You can go to the Graham Slee forum and check out the Elevator. They have a loaner program that allows you to try it in your system for several weeks to see if it fits. It only cost the price of shipping. By the way it's a very nice and flexible unit that sounds great.

ZYX CPP-1 http://www.sorasound.com/products/zyx/zyx-cpp-1-pre-preamp/

Dear @harrylavo: SA-2 the finest?

Well, in my first hand experiences because I owned nothing can " touch "/comes close to the Classé Audio NIL-3.

Its separated power supply in reality is an amplifier power supply  and the separated lectronics comes in a true " bunker " where all the electronics comes not only covered by something as solid silicon and inside a bullet proff metal shield against any disturbances of any kind and this comes inside the heavy metal external box/chassis. It's not only a beauty of design but ejemplary high quality ececution to that top design. As I said nothing can beats till today.

Unfortunatelly I sold it years ago.

Here it's a good opportunity to have it:

https://www.ebay.it/itm/Classe-Audio-NIL-MC-Moving-Coil-Step-Up-Amplifier-Rare-/322508263830

That's is the FINEST. Period.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

But exist many good alternatives along the ones all of you mentioned to that fabolous Classé Audio headamp like: Denon, Accuphase, Linear Technology,Audio Device, Eureka, Fidelix, Mactone, Pionner,  Klyne, Yamaha, Ortofon, Levinson, Mcintosh, Music Reference, Precision Fidelity.

Yes, all vintage ones but always it's a better option to SUTs.

R.