How do I choose a phono preamp?

All you can do is look for promising name brands from users like us and then go and review all you can online for pros and cons. After that it’s a leap of faith. Up front, definitely get something with load options for moving coil cartridges. You might not need it now but you’ll be thankful down the road.

With your budget I’d check out Tavish Design, Moonriver Audio Hybrid 505, MoFi MasterPhono, Accuphase C-27…I ended up with Gold Note PH-10. Sounds fantastic, two inputs, choice of balanced outs…best part is the ability to switch load options on the fly.

It’s a hands on thing, a lot involved, do you have any LPs?

Think Long before you jump in.

You could get a starter setup, to prove you will enjoy and stick with Vinyl, all the while learning. 

Then, get rid of it, good riddance

or

now get deeper into it, keep the starter system as a backup/second system

 

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Note: that will require a few inexpensive tools and acquired knowledge/skills to mount/align/calibrate a cartridge. That is an advantage of learning with a starter system. Thus, starter system should have a removable headshell, and some method of arm height adjustment (many lack any arm height adjustment)

Deeper into it: In your budget I advocate two tonearms, at least one with a removable headshell. That arm should have easy height adjustment because an alternate headshell/cartridge combo might not be the same height as the prior one.

One True Mono Cartridge ready to use within seconds after playing a Stereo Cartridge on the primary arm.

Primary Arm length: Long? nominal 9" is ’standard", 12" is typical Long Arm (few are actually 12" effective) After several years with 12.5" effective length, I think adjustability features for easy accurate calibration are more important. My long arm is 11-5/8" with wonderful features allowing fast re-calibration when changing cartridges.

Dust Cover (off during play). a pet peeve of mine, many TT’s are sold without a dust cover, some would need to be huge both on and where to put when off.

How to select one of two arms needs to be considered.

Small collection of cartridge types, and ability to play both low output Moving Coil MC and Moving Magnet MM. 

MM Phono stage involves RIAA Equalization, and Gain. Low Output MC Phono Stage requires pre-signal boost, up to typical MM signal strength, then MM Phono RIAA Equalization and final signal boost is needed.

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One of the simplest and most elegant Two Tonearm Solutions is the Luxman PD-444 which I helped my friend acquire and setup two Micro Seiki 505 Tonearms on, a 12" rear left; a 9" right side

Here’s one showing a pair of SME Arms

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11900

It has a built in Junction box with A/B switch to select which arm. It’s wide, but fits a normal depth surface, unlike mine below which required a new deeper glass shelf.

I never planned on it, but ended up with 3 Tonearms, and my SUT has 3 front selectable A/B/C inputs as well as optional x factors and impedances for a variety of MC cartridges

 

 

To begin with, it would be sufficient to buy a phono stage with a mono mode switch, rather her than two tonearms and two cartridges .  Makes sense also to look at the BAT lineup of phono stages. Balanced types would mate well with what you’ve got. Congrats on the CLS Is. Great speakers.

For 15k I'd suggest:

VPI Table

Koetsu Black Goldline (or even Urushi)

Sutherland Duo

I know this works as this was my setup for many years.

I have since upgraded the cartridge to the Rosewood Signature and the Phono Amp to the (outstanding) Dos Locos, and am thinking of upgrading the table, but the sound of the initial choices was rather good.

 

Just buy the Allnic phono stage that fits your budget and forget about it. Enjoy the music