Tough decision. I have a McIntosh C2300 preamp and was looking for an outboard phono stage but I could not find anything under $3500 that could better the Mc's adjustable on-the-fly (with remote) phono stage. My turntable is a VPI Aries 3 with 3D arm and Ortofon Cadenza Black MC cartridge.
Is it time for a phono stage?
I've been back into vinyl for a year now after almost a 40 year break and love it. Started with about 180 and now have around 800. The problem I find is it is hard to listen to equipment before buying. My system is a Mac MA6600 integrated,VPIPrime with Ortofon 2M black and a set of Revel F-30. Most of the equipment I've purchased has been based on reviews and reputation. I'm looking to spend in the 2-4k range and am leaning towards tubes. Current choices are The Chinook and the Herron ftph-2. I also was thinking about the Asthetix Rhea but was told it might not be a good match due to the Mac's input impedance being low. Honestly a lot of the technical stuff can be overwhelming but I know it's important. Looking for advice. Thanks.