Best preamp for 2k-3k

I HAVE SEEN A FEW CONRAD JOHNSON PREMIER 16LSII'S FOR 3000-3200 IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS.

I have to say it is the most beautiful preamp I have heard to date in my limited experience.

Shindo Aurieges. Could very well be your last preamp upgrade.

The preamp you choose may depend on what is available, and the asking price. If I were looking for a preamp, I would watch the ads for one of a group i could live with, and when one at a good (low) price comes along, buy it.
I have currently three preamps, a new Bryston BP-26, a bought used VAC Standard, and a used Audio Research Sp-15. I paid half what someone is currently asking for a SP-15.. just two years ago. So deals are out there.
I would watch for a Conrad Johnson, or an Audio Research. I am sure other recommendations are out there. But these are the two biggest names in a tube preamp. The Conrad brand in general is more tubey, and the ARC less tubey sounding.
The Sonic Frontier is going to be harder to find, unless lucky, as fewer made, and fewer for sale.

I agree with both the Calypso (there was one here recently and may still be) and the Shindo (you make no mentioned of balanced/single ended or tape loop requirements). I would absolutely add the Supratek Chardonney.

The Lamm LL2 Deluxe bested the Calypso in my system, but the Calypso is much more user friendly since it has a remote and display. Although I thought the Lamm clearly sounded better (so I sold my Calypso) the Calypso did sound good...it just didn't have the ability to bring me into the music like the Lamm. Now that the LL2.1 Deluxe is released, the former model LL2 Deluxe is a steal on the used market since the design, components, and sonics are the same, with the main differences being knob shape, selectable gain, and remote trigger feature. A used CAT SL-1 Ultimate MkII would be a very good choice and IMO equivalent to the Lamm, although a different sounding presentation. The Lector Zoe was also fun and sounded good. Several TEAD Vibe with Pulse preamps have been listed lately and, for solid state, it is the best I have heard although a bit "hair shirt" in the absence of features. Make sure you get the Lithos 7 model. The Lithos 6 model is still very nice sounding for solid state, but is worth much less on the used market - and you would need to ship it to England if you want to upgrade to Lithos 7. It is my experience that the jump from the Lithos 6 to Lithos 7 Vibe was much greater sonically than from the original two-piece Pulse to the "breadbox" style Pulse II. However, THE PULSE POWER SUPPLY IS MANDATORY if you want to hear what this preamp is capable of.