Recommended Pre-Amps under 1k?


Good day everyone! I am looking at Pre-Amps under 1k. I know it’s a very tight budget….

So far the Schiit Freya S and Freya + are well regarded. I am open to any suggestions. It does not need to have a DAC or phono input just FYI. 
 

thanks guys

f1fletch

Thanks for the response guys. I am currently using two IOTAVX PA3’s in mono block for amplification and the SA3 as my preamp. I have Klipsch RP-8000m speakers and a MoFi studio deck with an ifi zen phono amp. I feel like the SA3 preamp and DAC section is the weakest link right now. I was planning on getting a topping DAC first and then upgrading the preamp. I like the topping pre90 but was hoping for something more full size chassis wise. 

The Parasound P5 was a very popular "budget" pre-amp, full of features that many/most pre-amps do not offer, especially at the price. If you are looking for a lot of features, like DAC, bass management, phono pre-amp, balance control, etc., it might be a good choice. However, in my experience (yes, I owned one), the sound quality is decidedly mid-fi. It just didn't have the type of hi-fi sound quality I desired. I did not need the added features, so out it went.

If I were looking for a budget pre-amp today, I would certainly consider the Schiit or Topping, especially if they had a solid return policy. Otherwise, I would probably look for a more vintage used unit.