Need help with preamp choice...

PS. My budget is up to 1K. Compact/small footprint is a plus for me too. AES/Cary?

PPS. I listen primary to acoustic music. Flabby bass is particularly intolerable.

If you want "full rich tube sound" stay away from the Sonic Frontiers. Their preamps are noted to be particularly "untubey" in review after review. That said, they are a classy product and still well supported for any needed repairs. Unfortunately, you're going to be really limited by insisting on remote capability. I understand, having a remote preamp myself now, I like not having to get off my bum to change things. You're going to need to settle on what sort of amp you want to make an informed decision. If you end up going with a tubed power amp, you don't need a tube preamp to get tube virtues in your system. A solid state preamp/tube power amp is a potentially felicitous combination. You also need to pay attention to impedance and gain compatibility. Too much gain from the preamp is a common problem. You can get around that problem with Rothwell attenuators though. Check out Carys' less expensive line AES. The AE3-DJH has a small footprint, remote control and the classic tube sound. That might the ticket. Were it not for the fact that it lacks a remote, the Eastern Electric Minimax sounds like your kind of preamp soundwise.

Thanks for the input, Photon. OK. Let's say the TAD-60 tube amp. What preamp would you be inclined to mate with it? I don't HAVE to have a remote; it's just that I've gotten used to one -- not having to jump up, for instance, when I'm on the phone which is a lot. Depth, detail, dynamics, quiet, accurate placement in a spacious soundtage are musts, more so than convenience featurs.

I checked out TAD's website and products. My impression is that the TADs are probably a fine pair and a good value. Not having heard them, I can't say more than that. They don't give specs for input impedance & gain, so you can't weigh those factors now with regard to mating outside the TAD family. You can go crazy trying to make decisions based on reviews. At a certain point you just have to make a leap of faith and buy something, hoping it works out. If not, well, that's what Audiogon is for.