What is the Phono stage you have finished with?

I have an early Herron VTPH-1MC, serial number < 10. It has all the mods through around mid-2001.

I'm completely satisfied with it. Very detailed without being analytical or too polite, pinpoint imaging with a huge and deep soundstage, transparent, very flat frequency response, dynamic, musical, very pulse coherent.

The newer current production version of the Herron phono stage is supposed to be a little better but I haven't heard it.

I beg to differ in your comment "as soon as you break the phono stage out to a seperate box, you have an connectivity problem with whatever is downstream. You see, one of the functions of a line stage is to control the interconnect cable. I don't see any phono stage that is really designed to do that, so the interconnect between the phono section and whatever follows (line stage, power amp) is critical."

You can't use such a globally all-inclusive statement like that. It very much depends on the designer as to whether a phono stage has been appropriately designed to work with other components. I have zero problems with my Herron phono stage interacting with my Herron cables into my Herron line stage interacting with the downstream Herron cables into my Herron amps. I know for a first-hand fact that the phono stage was designed to interact with other quality components upstream and downstream.

I think ARC also tests their components extensively for good interaction as do some others.

Can't speak for some of the other less expensive phono stages. Maybe that's what your referring to.

I do agree with your statement regarding a passive volume control.

What you're describing are not connectivity issues. Those are cable quality issues and personal preferences. Nothing more. New models of components are introduced every year. Does that mean people's "old" systems are no longer any good and must be replaced? Does that mean that cables between amps and preamps are replaced every year just because there are improvements there? No to both.

But that's not what you REALLY said originally. What you said was (read very carefully!):

"You see, one of the functions of a line stage is to control the interconnect cable. I don't see any phono stage that is really designed to do that, so the interconnect between the phono section and whatever follows (line stage, power amp) is critical. [snip undisputed passive volume control and function statement]."

So you can see that what you said is a WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT than when you changed your explanation to something else completely. What you said had to do with the quality of a phono stage being able to "control the interconnect cable" as if there are not differences between interconnects between other components, downstream of the preamp, or between a "properly designed" phono stage and a preamp. But there are, as well as there are differences between the wire that can be used inside an integrated preamp. Does that mean that the preamp needs to be rewired every time there is an improvement in point-to-point wire?

But the issue remain that you said that you know of no phono stage that has the same attention to its output than the output of a preamp. You also implied that since a preamp is designed to "control the interconnect" that there are no differences in downstream interconnects but there are between phono stages and line stage preamps.

I mean, that is what you said. Right? That's where I disagree with you.