$5000.00 To Spend Looking for Tube Pre-Amp

I would suggest you give the new Herron VTSP-3A(R02) a look. I've owned four preamps in as many years (Audio Research and Modwright) and the Herron is by a wide margin the most musically satisfying of the lot. It is incredibly well designed and extraordinarily musical. Seriously, I am blown away by this thing and I'm not generally prone to hyperbolic statements. I'm working on a longer "review" as a way of "venting" my enthusiasm and will post it shortly. Not sure what kind of impedance match it will make with your amps nor what the rest of your system is comprised of but in my view the Herron should be at top of shortlist contenders in this price range.

Another tube preamp thread Dragon_vibe? This is your third thread in 6 weeks looking for preamp advice.

Stop asking how the water is and jump in the pool already!! Get wet, have some fun!! Just buy a frickin' preamp already!!

Used Cary SLP-05 should definitely be on your $5K short list.

Shindo Auriges
Alan

I second the Herron Audio VTSP-3a. Great preamp with excellent balanced sound and very musical.