Phono Stage - The great analog tragedy

I agree a lot with @dover about high end not co-relating with sound of real music. 

When it comes to phonostage, what makes it high end exactly?

RIAA accuracy? It is a given. In fact most phonostages have very low RIAA deviation (even entry level ones)

Resolution? Yea that definitely costs more and depends on quality of parts
Dynamics? Thats a big one. The factor which seperates the men from boys is dynamic range. High end phonostages today have the ability of startle with lifelike explosive dynamics which is one of the reasons vinyls sound so much more special than digital. I am yet to come across any vintage phonostage which has that kind of dynamics. They all sound mid-fi in the dynamic range department. 

I don't think upgrading some parts with better quality equivalents of today is going to bring it to the level of a big boy dynamics of a Pass Labs XP27 or Burmester PH100. It is the circuit and design with big PSUs to provide that drive and DR. These kind of elaborate designs I don't see in the past. 

High end phono is no different than anything else in audio--any given model will be liked by some and disliked by others.  I have not gone on any sort of careful exploration of the subject, nor have I made that many direct comparisons in my own system or systems that I know well enough to judge the sound.  I tend to like tube phono stages and of current brands; I like those made by Audio Note (uk) and Lector (italian).  Of the other brands that I am less familiar with, I liked what I hard from Zanden and Doshi.  The big disappointment to me was the Boulder which sounded too dry and analytical for my taste. 

How I arrived at the one in my own system is an embarrassment.  I bought it without hearing it from a friend who was the US distributor for the brand.  He had to sell the one he used for audio shows because the power supply unit sustained some cosmetic damage so he sold it to me for a small fraction of the retail price.  The offer was too tempting to pass up.  I got lucky--I like how it sounds.

@pani Description being presented by yourself are quite askew.

I have been in front of Phonostages on at least five occasions where approx' 10 -15 Phon's have been brought along for A/B Comparison demonstrations, where Phon's to be demo's are built by Commercial entities, Commission Built or Built by Very Adept EE minded Types and then the New Builder Type as well.

Phon's on a Line Up have been typically SS, Valve Hybrid, Valve Input/Output  with a price range from a few hundred £'s to near $2K for a BOM for a Phon' and through to a Under £1K to £10K+ for Commercial offerings.

A Phon' producer who knows a thing or two about a Phon' for not many hundreds of £'s is quite capable to produce a Phon' with an end sound that is not separated to higher priced phon's when these fall into the under £4K price range.

With this I have heard Phon's with a BOM of near £2K be unapproachable in a comparison by Phon's costing north of £7K.

There is the odd Phon' at the highest price that has been capable to separate itself as a very very attractive option and if monies were not limited would be a consideration for a short list.

My own experiences have assured myself when it comes to the end sound being  produced only.

Where demo's that have been heard, has been on systems that can have a costing up to £200K. There are Phon's being produced for less than £1K and then extending towards close to £2K that are so impressive as an end sound, a little extended time in their Company would be so satisfying, why would finding another £8K to £10K need to be parted with to have a at hand musical experience that is not too separated from a much more affordable option.

It is the Person who has put their thought into the Phon' that really matters, and People only know what they know, being influenced by their limitations of know how.    

I'm guessing you never listened to the ModSquad Deluxe Phono preamp. To say that weren't very many good phono preamps prior to 2000 is really not a very true statement. I sold hi end audio in europe in the 1970's and there were many very nice sounding phono preamps and cartridges during that time period.

I’m going to add to the chorus: there were MANY great phonostages in the 1990s. That was when designed separated the linestage from the phonostage. There was Tom Evan’s Groove phonostage, Audio Research has had phonostages since the early 90s, Mares, Musical Surroundings Phenomena. And I owned a Vendetta SCP 2A back in 1992.

I’m thinking you’re very young, or you came into the audiophile community in the 2000s. That must be why you think phonostages only came of age in the 2000s, but clearly, as you can see, that was never the case.