High Value Phono Stages

I had, briefly, a Ray Samuels Emmeline 2 box phono stage. I say 'briefly' as that was how I learned that Positive Feedback reviews did not always translate into real life for me.

Now I'm quite happy with my NuVista Vinyl, but I know that you, OP, were less impressed. So, horses for courses. Maybe a Ray Samuels will work for you!

^ The NuVista is a value for what it offers

Both the Hagerman and Graham Slee are from a Brand that also produces DIY designs. 

I see DIY is not broached upon in replies made. 

DIY offers options, that in some designs will most likely show the design is easily surpassing some of the Branded Models suggested

A particularvTom Evans Phon' Model, has been publicly scrutinised as a Model marketed at £25K. The same model is proven to be doable as a parts only BOM, using earlier known pricing, for close to £1K.

I would suggest approx' £1.5K if produced as a commission build.

My experiences are showing BOM's of £500 - £1K for a Phon' design to be DIY built are hit and miss, with a few encountered being able to impress.

Same Phon' designs are very easily surpassed in End Sound performance when the BOM for the design are approaching £2K and over. 

My experiences had, of a small cross section of the commercially available Branded Phon's offered to market. Where prices come in at under £5K retail, have some very wanting models in the mix, with a few only that contend with a more expensive commercially available model. 

In a different context, I have experienced DIY designs at close  to £2.5K as the BOM, that have been toe to toe as a competitor to commercially produced £10K + models. 

Pindac, I fully agree that DIY designs can exceed commercially available designs, for fewer bucks.  What I have done historically is to buy very good commercial designs and then experiment using my own painfully developed and always developing expertise to make them better.  Mostly because building from scratch is quite tedious, and I don’t have the time for it.  I spent a few decades studying the subject before engaging in such ventures, and I still to this day am loathe to mess around with the RIAA filter. So my question is, where do you expect the average guy among us to find the skill to "DIY" or where to find the private individual who has the expertise to do it for you?  (You apparently know such individuals in the UK, but here in the US they are rare birds and are slowly dying off as well.) And such persons do not usually want to work for free and never work to a time clock.  Before I got into actual DIM (Do IT Myself), I once lost use of an MFA Luminescence preamp for nearly a year while I waited for a private hobbyist to upgrade it. By the time I got it back, I had totally forgotten how it sounded beforehand and so could not say really whether it was improved.

@lewm  Your assessment is correct, and should be a encouragement to others to investigate not pursue.

The pursuit becomes most likely when confidence is in place that relied upon support has the capability to deliver what is one's expectation. 

I have not produced any electronic products from my own hands, but have been instrumental in what is a received as an End Design for a Phon', produced by others for me.

I know today, using the Branded Item commercial markets as a reference, I would not be willing to extend to the expense that is required as a retail price to acquire what I have achieved as a Bespoke Design - Commission Built purchase option.

My latest acquisition being a SS Phon' which is to be picked up early in the New Year will require a huge outlay in monies to get Branded Model that is a design that presents as a fair comparison or betterment.

I stand strong in my making known options that can be considered, investigated, and maybe realised by those interested in Audio. 

For the record, a DAC produced under very similar methods to the owned Phon's, is a reference DAC used within the local HiFi Group. 

In comparisons it has proved as a performer near parity,  or more attractive, when compared to Branded Model DAC'sthatsome have been costing between 10x to 30 x more.