Care to recommend a preamp?

When I replaced my VK 31SE with the MP 3 the veil was lifted. My Soundlabs A 3's opened up. I had a pair of VK 55's paired with the atma-sphere. I suppose, synergy comes into play ..... Once again, many updates have been instituted since the 31 was introduced. The MP 3 remains an Editors Choice.

I am selling a deHavilland Ultraverve 3. Should crush the competition.

Tube Audio Design 150 Sig well below your budget but you would never know it.

The CAT volume control is just plain wrong. It's way too course (I believe each click on the volume is 3db). It's too bad, as the CAT preamp is a very good sounding preamp (I used to own one). With this preamp, on too many recordings, the volume will either be too low, or too high. The best analogy I can come up with is you can drive 60 mph or 80mph, there's no in between.
As far as your original question, take a listen to an Audible Illusions. I think it's great.

I am a former owner of the Chenin and I owned two versions of the SLP-98, the stock MM version, and the direct coupled F1 MC version. This is my experience in my system:

Chenin:

Pros: Very good phono stage. Later Chenins have the same phonostage as the Cortese. Quiet linestage. Has a clear sound. Easy to delineate the space between the performers. Brings the performers into your room with a forward, but very listenable presentation, if that is one of your goals.

Cons: My Chenin had a bit of glare to it, especially with female voices. It had a modified volume control, though, which I think contributed to the glare. I had a stock Cortese, and never felt like there was any glare to it (I sold the Cortese to try the F1, then sold the F1 for the Chenin). It is getting harder to find Chenins on the used market, and Supratek is no longer making the Chenin.

As for build quality, I had no issues with my Chenin or Cortese. They are point to point wired, which might look messy, but some say it has sonic advantages. The capacitors are good quality. I did have a loose wire that was probably loosened during shipping. It was easy to find it and reconnect it, and I am not very technically inclined.

SLP-98:

Pros: The phonostage is very quiet. The linestage has more of a meaty sound than the Chenin. A little laid back compared to Supratek, not forward sounding, but images are still full sized with good tone, if that is one of your goals. Easy to listen to for hours.

Cons: Not as detailed as the Chenin. The F1 version is better than the stock version if you want more detail. I could never get into the phonostage, which is why I sold the SLP-98. Neither the MM version or the F1 MC version was as engaging as the Chenin or Cortese for me, and clicks and pops seemed more prominent in the Cary.

Both are very fine preamps and great value in the $2k range, used. I like the Supratek sound better, but this is just my personal preference. I know others like the SLP-98 better, and I might even be in the minority. Hope this helps!