Stereophile: Topping Pre 90 close to Pass Labs 17.000,-
When Kal Rubinson compared the Pre90 preamp to the $17K Pass Labs preamp , he found the sound quality not too far apart between the two.
Some people may summarily reject it because of its low cost, small size, limited warranty, Chinese manufacture, or the fact that it’s only sold online.
All those parameters must be weighed against its low price and outstanding performance. It fits my needs, and it fits my ears, so for me it’s a great bargain.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/topping-pre90-line-preamplifier