Whilst its an old thread what did the OP Decide on?
Atma-Sphere MP-1 would be the cream of the crop within a decent budget range
the Aries Cerat Higher End Pre-Amps are also fantasic choices.
VAC is another good choice i think they are nice soft pleasent sound, if you like that sort of thing.
LAMM would be another excellent choice.
I think the Aries Cerat would win out on this if money is no object thou. Their Inverted Triode Pre-Amps perform on levels not easily achieved by normal circuits. They are costly but thats the price you pay for a 120KG pre-amp!!!!