Best head amp of the market ?

If you can find one in good shape, the Markof PPA-2 based on a battery-driven Marshall Leach design is a contender.  Back in the day it was considered one of the closest contenders to the Counterpoint SA-2 pre-preamp, which was acknowledged the finest.  I had both, and continue to use the PPA-2.  The SA-2 had wonderful, more dimensional tube sound but was a bear to get around humming.

Dear @harrylavo: Do you took in count that the thread came from 2007 ! ! .

R.

The Marcof remains a good alternative to much more expensive SUT's for use with LOMC cartridges. Prices on the second hand market average around $200. I have one and its SQ is quite good, considering its price! The battery supply is a nice feature!

I use a Thorens head-amp — not their recent crop of phono ancillaries, an oldie-but-goodie, over 30 years old. It's very compact, and quite "pretty". They made it as a plug-in module to fit into an EMT broadcast console. I found it on a trip to Johannesburg, where it had been used for SABC FM broadcasts. It has two gain settings: 22 and 32 dB (and Bypass). It came with a 12V wall-wart but that was an improvisation — its original power supply was inside the console — and I found batteries to be an improvement. It's dead-silent even at full gain, as quiet as a SUT. I see them occasionally online — rare, but affordable.

You can go to the Graham Slee forum and check out the Elevator. They have a loaner program that allows you to try it in your system for several weeks to see if it fits. It only cost the price of shipping. By the way it's a very nice and flexible unit that sounds great.