Going with separate phono stage might not necessarily offer better value due to costs of a separate chassis and power supply, but I would still suggest it because separating those will often give better sound quality. Better phono stages often have external power supplies to keep the low level signal away from the PS, reducing noise, more impactful with phono signals than higher line level signals.
If we are casting votes, I love the Backert preamps, know the principals well, and can't say enough good things about their dedication to helping you get the best sound for your money. They are no nonsense guys with a professional musician doing most of their voicing/listening. They will spend hundred of hours comparing the sound of every damn capacitor, piece of wire, etc. to get the most out of their designs. The UI and clean design of their gear is appeal IMHO too, especially the top access to tubes, handy for tube rollers. Cheers,
Spencer
