Barracuda Pre Amp Man

Dont know about jored, neither heard or used one..very expensive but he apparently uses better "hifi" quality caps etc on discrete removable pcbs. This may be worth the extra im not sure.

Ive not heard ligwas new preamps..possibly buily by pepper?

All the above will do the job..there are some small differences in sound/features/layout.

I've heard about some new digital preamp designs emerging.

Baracudas were popular in the 70s/80s and are old school..harder to find these days. They use obsolete opamps/ ceramic caps and other components that are prob not considered hifi today.. but they have a certain character and sound. Some (most?) are built on one board so they can be tricky to work on..thats if you can find someone to service them.

There are people who love kane and links.Again tricky to find as they usually get passed between sound systems who often have a few preamps.

Having an old unavailable preamp has its charm. Some people just like to have old school "back in the day" things that other people cant buy..I wouldnt buy into that unless there is a real reason for getting a particular preamp. I would recommend to go for a new preamp if you want something reliable and easy to service but its a matter of personal taste. People look for different things in a preamp...some people like a certain sound, some like a lot of weight, some like clean hifi quality, some like a certain added characteristic. Many builders give you the option of customising layout/features..but they all basically do the same thing.