Tube Preamp, uses 6sn7/6sl7. With or Without Phono; With or Without Remote Volume,

If remote volume a must, then maybe he has to compromise on the demand for octal triodes.  Consider Manley Chinook or Steelhead (used for less than $5K with phono).

Also consider if buying used, oner that has a space within the Case to mount a Remote Operation VC.

Should add about £150ish to the cost if a good quality one if considered.  

@lewm Just so you know both the Atma-Sphere MP-1 and MP-3 have remote volume available.

Did not know that. Is it now standard on new units? Or optional?

The MFA Luminescence (Lumi) preamp uses the 6SN7 and other octal tubes. The Lumi has been out of production since the last century so you'll have to buy used. Scott Frankland is the F in MFA and he runs a shop maintaining Lumis and will also update the Lumi with today's caps and other bits to make it Super Lumi. 

He can also modify the Lumi to take two moving coil inputs. 

If you feed your pre amp with the line out from the Lumi/Super Lumi you'll get 66 db of gain for low output cartridges like the Lyra Atlas SL (Sigma Lima).

The other cartridge is a Benz Gullwing in an ET 2 pump action arm in an Oracle VI. Feed it into a Super Lumi and you've got a world beater. Not that the Lyra is chopped liver but there's a synergistic magic to the Gullwing and the ET 2 arm.

Scott is a pro. audioeng@ix.netcom.com