Best Full-Function Preamplifier

Robert Grodinsky Research RGR 4 ($660 - no longer in production). Particular attention was paid to the design of the phono stage. Back in the day TAS gave it a very positive review! Since I am invested in LP’S I own and use this preamp.

Typically a really high quality preamp will not have a Phonostage. My favorite preamp in your price range is an Audio Research Reference 6SE… at $17K. Their equivalent Phonostage is $17K.

Separating the Phonostage completely from the preamp has the advantage of separating the very low signal amplification of the phono signal from the noisy environment of the preamp. The Audio research products are uniquely musical and detailed, with excellent mid-range bloom. This combination makes them extremely good to center your system around. You get the best of both worlds: musicality and detail.

I would always concentrate on the very best preamp I could get, then the very best Phonostage. So, my strategy given your budget would look for a used Audio Research Reference 5SE preamp and a used Audio Research Reference 3 phonostage (or Ref 2). I would adjust the exact preamp and Phonostage to match your budget. The sequence for rhe Reference products is, for instance Ref 5, Ref 5SE, Ref 6, Ref 6SE. Same for the Phonostage.

You gotsta pay for top echelon sound.   I would listen to a number of different preamps and a bunch of external phone stages along with....   

I owned a Zesto Leto preamp.  It was great , their latest Ultra II is even better.  But what they really specialize in are phono stages.  

Audio Research, also makes great gear ...  Pass,   many others.  

I would want separate components in every situation,  in every price range...a great phono stage is almost NEVER included in state of the art preamps... maybe a very good one, but not a reference one 

McIntosh C2700 or one of the other many they have, make sure it has the DAC2 board and your good to go. excellent DAC with multiple in-outs for digital, ARC for TV integration, the C2700 is a Tube preamp with dual phono stages MM and MC, then there is many RCA and balanced in and outs. Tone controls if you need them, switchable of course. so many features i don't know of another preamp that can match it for features. 

There is only one preamp with built-in phono that I would consider, Atma-Sphere MP-1, in the no compromise category you’re looking for.  I was on the phone with the owner, Ralph Karsten, just last week, he normally picks up, trouble shooting some tubes.  You’d be hard pressed to find a better company, products or person to deal with.  I own two of their components and about to buy a third.  Highly recommended.