Preamp for manley snappers


I am in search for a preamp without phono stage for my manley snappers. I have tried audible illusions,art audio,first sound and tron seven and VTL 6.5. They were all lent to me for audition by friends. Of all the units i auditioned it is only the 6.5 that had me smiling but the price is just so expensive i have to look somewhere else. My budget is around 4k dollars. Friends suggested the modwright 9.0 or the 36.5 but i dont have access to any demos of these units. Any suggestions are welcome.
csr827
Myself and another local Manley owner both are using BAT preamps with ours. (VK42SE & 51SE) I would like to hear the Manley 300B preamp to compare someday.
Member Face has a good point, why not go for a Manley pre? They're seems to be great synergy within the line, so I read!
I owned a pair of Snappers a few years back and drove them with a Bat VK3i, Audible illusions, and a Joule LA100 Mk3.
The Joule was my favorite out of this group.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for your replies. I will be auditioning a vtl 5.5 tonight and hope it goes near the sound of the 6.5 as the price is within reach. More suggestions are welcome!