I had what many consider one of the better tube preamps in my 2nd system. I thought it sounded superb. But, it didn’t have a remote - though I could have had the factory add one and I found the resistor ladder on the volume a bit course for my taste. But, there’s no question of the sound quality. Again - superb.
But, I sold it and purchased a higher end solid state preamp. Candidly, while it sounds a bit different, they’re actually pretty close. The preamp I purchased is known for tonal density. It’s a bit quieter (naturally) and offers a bit more resolution.
My takeaway is that both topologies work well and the sonic gap between better units has narrowed considerably. My new preamp lacks for nothing though I do miss the nostalgia of my former unit. But even the most ardent tube lover would likely find nothing more to want in the solid state unit I have.