Thanks everyone... I've decided to stick to my original plan and get a good tube preamp, and then hookup my SET amps, and get a Pass XA25 for solid state.
I chose the McIntosh C22 MKIV for couple reasons, mainly:
* has a tubed MM/MC phono stage (I play vinyl about 30% of time so the C22 should be 'good enough' especially with a tube roll).
* has tone controls and loudness - I listen alot at lower volumes and it is nice to bump something a tad if I need to.