i recommend a melos ma333/music director. ya, it's tubed, but quite neutral. latest iterations had remote for volume & balance. i went to this from a linn kairn, & lost *none* of the kairn's excellent transparency, detail, & neutrality, but gained a much more 3-d presentation. the kairn, while possessing a wide soundstage & good imaging, was wery 2-d in its depth presentation.
if ewe must have solid-state, i'd look into electrocompaniet or ayre. while i have no direct experience w/either of these mfr's latest pre's, i have heard great things about the ayre, & i *do* use electro's amps, which i tink are great. i also used to use one of their 10+ year-old preamps (currently waiting to be installed in a second system), & it was also excellent - but not up to the melos, imho...
doug s.