Step up from NAD PP2

I owned the NAD PP2 and a 320BEE. The PP2 was good for the money, but not much more than that. All the phono stages you mention and others will mention will reveal that the PP2 sounds slow and closed in.

Off the one's you mention, I like the Simaudio phono stage the best. It's truly great sounding for the price new, and even better value second hand. There's nothing the PP2 does that the LP3 won't trounce. It's not even close IMO.

One that hasn't been mentioned is the Dynavector P75 (mk1 or 2). They typically show up here for well under your budget. I haven't heard every phono stage mentioned by others in this thread, but the P75 easily the best I've heard for the cash used. If my Bryston B60's internal phono stage wasn't doing the great job it's doing, the P75 is easily what I'd buy. It's very flexible in it's loading options, making it compatible with just about any cartridge on the market.

On a side note, after you upgrade the cart, you may want to look at upgrading the 320BEE. It's a great little integrated, but it's not going to show you what your vinyl chain is truly capable of. I really liked my 320BEE when I owned it, so this isn't a knock on it.

I really liked my 320BEE. I sort of regret selling it, as I could have used it for a second system some day. Paired up great with my PSBs (also sold off), and it sounds great with your B&Ws. I sold it to help pay for my B60, so not too much regret though.

There's a lot better out there. It'll cost a good bit more, but it'll show you what a great vinyl setup you have. I really like the Funk tables.

I agree with Bill regarding integrateds and built in phono stages. Except for a B60 (genuinely not trying to sound biased) and maybe, just maybe a Rega Mira 3, I'd go with an external phono stage.

Rega's internal stage is very good, but I'm pretty sure the Simaudio would be better. Something like the Dynavector P75 would destroy it. Haven't heard my B60's phono stage directly against a P75, but I think the P75 would be a bit better.

A huge advantage external phono stages have over internal ones is flexibility in MM/MC and loading. With an internal one, you're locked in to what you've got, whereas with stuff like the P75 or LP3, you've got far more cartridge options.

In regards to a buying a B60, very few I've seen have the phono option. It can be upgraded by Bryston if you bought a used one, but it's at least $350 if my memory is correct. That's one reason why I jumped on the one I bought here.

At the end of the day, it depends on your overall budget and is also a case by case basis. Some integrateds have great phono stages built in, whereas others are more of an afterthought.