Since mid-March I have been using a Jolida JD-5T line stage to drive a reconditioned 1981 Heathkit AA-1600. The Jolida is a nice little unit, pretty substantial actually with good-sized power supply and IEC AC socket so you can upgrade with a better power cord. I swapped out the stock tubes (12AX7) with NOS Philips and added some Herbies Tube Dampers, and added a Zu BoK power cable.
It's a smooth, but dynamic and neutral unit. It has just 10 dB of gain, but that's plenty for me, even with my LP source, and it keeps the unit VERY quiet. The remote is about the size of a key fob but has the functions you need--on/off, vol. up/down, and mute.
Best of all you should be able to score a new one with warranty for around $350, maybe less.
It's a smooth, but dynamic and neutral unit. It has just 10 dB of gain, but that's plenty for me, even with my LP source, and it keeps the unit VERY quiet. The remote is about the size of a key fob but has the functions you need--on/off, vol. up/down, and mute.
Best of all you should be able to score a new one with warranty for around $350, maybe less.