Preamp expriences? Good value amp

I just went through a similar time of trying to find anew pre-amp in the same price range as the Rogue Magnum. I should say that I am not really a tube guy, but I did check some out. I also looked at the Muse Model 3; though I concluded to really get top performance from it required the external power supply which adds quite a bit to the cost ($600). In the end I bought the Musical Fidelity A3cr and I absolutely love it. you should check out the Wes Phillips review on onhifi.com (it is also Stereophile Recommended "Class B", etc). I liked it so much I just bought the matching power amp, which is if anything even more impressive (it got a Stereophile Recommended "Class A") . Together the sound is as good or better than any system I have ever heard.(Admittedly, I have not heard the C-J Art or the ML Reference components under good conditions) Nonetheless for $1500 each they are astounding.
The only drawback is that they are hard to find in a store. however, I believe that Upscale Audio is giving the Audio Advisor like 30-day return policy.

Good luck, I know how hard it is to find the right pre-amp.

I owned a Rogue 66 before upgrading to Air Tight. I found the 66 to be warm and musical and a good match to my Maggies with their ribbon tweeter. If you get the remote control volume, I think you may loose the tape monitor button. Also, the mute on my 66 just lowered the volume about 20dB or so, it did not cut the signal. However, the 66 is one of the best values in tube preamps and well worth an audition.
Good listening!

The Kora Eclipes is a huge value! When I bought mine 1998, it retailed for close to $7000. They had some issues I guess and you can find that same unit new for under $2000 (retail $4000+). Please try it, it may now be the best buy in audio. At $7000 it was a great unit, at $2000 it's a steal!

The Audio Research tube preamps also sound nice, and have theatre pass-thrus.

For those who owned Rogue 66, did you notice any interchannel (source) talk and transformer hum? I've heard from other owners about these issues.

I'm a BIG fan of resolution (imaging) and soundstage. Admittedly, tube-based preamps probably provide a bigger soundstage than their SS counterpart.

Thanks for all the inputs so far. Looking forward to reading some more.

Ken