David,
Considering the functionality you need, I believe the Backert would suit you fine. Reviews and owner feedback comments suggest it is really quite fine sounding yet offers flexibility. . It may be hard to beat when all factors are considered. Teajay says it sounds "great" if not quite the equal of the LTA ZOTL but that's out of the picture for you. In your desired price range it's likely very hard to do better. Oh one more option, people talk about the Don Sachs 6SN7 preamp in glowing terms.
Charles