Best 3 tube preamps under $18000?

There are great brands, like the Forsell Fetcode and the Millennia...they are fantastic.

Let's throw a couple more on the pile:

CAT SL-1 Ultimate
Allnic L-4000
Atma-sphere MP-1 (yeah, I know it's been mentioned, but it deserves to be nominated again)

As the proud owner of a VAC Ren pre, I was flabergasted (astounded, amazed, etc) when I heard the Veloce LS1 battery powered tube preamp (about $14k or so). This is easily the single most dynamic, blackest background, most musical pre that I have ever heard in any system. Having taken one home for audition ( with the corresponding matching phono stage also battery powered), I am now in the process of trying to figure out how to pay for the one I have ordered.

If you only have one source and it is digital the an $18000 pre amp is a big waste of money. It is a very expensive way to turn the volume LESS DOWN. $18 grand could go along way to improve a system in other ways.

Shindo Vosne Romanee, Masseto, Monbrison.