Need a Solid State Pre Amp For under $2000

Guys,
Thank you for the fast answers. It seems you all may have felt the anxiety that I have been feeling when you are so close to having your dream stereo to tinker with.

I like the passive Idea. Not familiar with the brands. Any reconditions. I like depth and precise imaging and more of a analytical sound vs, the warm sound of a tube setup.

Loomisjohnson,
What passive pre-amps do you recommend with regards to my analytical taste? I need balanced in and out and a remote.

Passive units control the volume still, right?

Jess

Hi Again,

Does anybody have experience with matching a Krell Amp with any of the old KCT, KRC hr, KRC 2 or 3 pre amps?
I've been told it would be the best option for the money with my gear.

Jess

I'd look at the Vincent SA-T8. Dick Olsher is a long time tube aficionado and perfectionist reviewer, and he gave this hybrid an absolute rave in the Dec. 2008 Absolute Sound. In addition to its 4-in/2-out single ended connections it has 2 pair xlr inputs and one pair out.

Keep your eyes open for a Krell KRC-3. This is a great sounding preamp and will match up well with your Krell KSA-250. They go for around $1000 on the used market. Another nice preamp is the Classe CP-50.

passive preamps do control the volume--typically they use a manual attenuator knob, tho i've seen some that also have remote volume control.
in general, a passive preamp more transparently passes through the sound from the source than an active preamp--i.e. it will impart less color and character than an active preamp. the passive usually will have less distortion and noise; disadvantages might be reduced high frequency level and less punch. all that said, if you use a passive pre, it will be your source and speakers that determine your "analtical taste"--in other words the passive pre will merely pass through whatever signal is presented to it.
as for brands, look at placette audio (which has unbalanced ins/outs and remote) and channel island (ditto)--either should work well for you.