Neutral preamplifier recommendation $1K new

Oh...one more thought. Don't let the cosmetics scare you:)

A used Audio Alchemy DDP-1 is a fantastic choice - Peter Madnick a top audiophile engineer with extensive contributions to many top audiophile companies including Constellation, Elac, and MoFi. 

Cannot find other non-tube preamps in that price point. 

@kennyc 

Totally agree. I have owned a DDP-1 for ~ 3 years, but when I bought it the seller did not hve the PS5. I took ~ 6 months before I located one. It's must have addition. I have made lots of change over the 3 years, the AA clearly revealed them

HTH

I have a phono preamp and a DAC and both are keepers.

I’m looking for a $1K line stage NEW to partner with my tube amplifiers.

@lpretiring  I appreciate the The Truth Pre Amp recommendation. Not one I’ve seen before so I will investigate.

I have a measly Schit Freya S that sounds pretty neutral to me and I believe has published measurements that bear that out.

The 3 way adjustable gain including passive mode is a nice feature to help match to various amps!