Tube Preamp with Full Featured Phono (both MM and LOMC with loading options).

If you read the description of Tom Moon's system, which he kindly included in his review of the Rogue, you might think to take his superlatives with a grain of salt. It's solidly mid-fi. My only way of knowing what a typical reviewer is talking about, is to reference what else he listens to.

"Everything about connecting the Rogue was straightforward, helped by its excellent owner’s manual. I connected my sources: Hewlett-Packard computer, HRT Music Streamer II+ DAC, Cambridge Audio 650C CD player, and Pioneer PL-516 turntable with Grado Gold cartridge. Interconnects were Linn Silver (CD player), Straight Wire Chorus (preamp to amp), and Dayton Audio (computer to DAC, USB; DAC to preamp, analog). The Rogue RP-1 fed my NAD C 275BEE power amp, which drove a pair of Acoustic Energy Radiance 3 floorstanding loudspeakers and an Advent ASW-1200 subwoofer."

@faustuss 

@glennewdick 

thanks, I liked learning about your recommendations, none in budget are available now.

@lewm 

Unless you have heard it yourself, try not to be a victim of your own biases about reviewers and their equipment. 

member @audphile1 owned and recommends both the RP-1 and RP-5. 

here’s Stereophile review summary

"In summary
I believe that Rogue Audio’s RP-1 will join the ranks of such preamp folk heroes as the Dynaco PAS, the Hafler DH101, the Conrad-Johnson PV3, and the NAD 1020—and the Apt Holman, the Supraphon Revelation Basic, and the Audible Illusions Modulus. All of these are moderately priced, high-performance models that countless audiophiles have used to step up from receivers or integrateds to separates.

However, the RP-1 was more effective than any of those classics at preserving a recording’s vital energies. I believe that the RP-1 is not necessarily a stepping stone on the way to something better: I see it as a fully worthy final destination.

Compared to any preamplifier I know of at anywhere near its price, the RP-1 reaches deeper into the music to excavate a stronger, more precise, more spacious musical presentation. Most important, it delivers music that lives. Highly recommended."

https://www.stereophile.com/content/rogue-audio-rp-1-preamplifier-page-2

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My friend is asking about full featured, within a budget, that precludes many that you would prefer, but a great many are quite happy with their Rogue units, and they have more loading options than any other MC stage I found in his budget.

@lewm ​​​​@elliottbnewcombjr 

I owned RP1 and then upgraded to RP5. My amp at the time was Rogue ST100 stereo tube amp…by the way really amazing amp especially for the money in a used market. 
Speakers were Martin Logan Montis. 
Sources were Auralis Aries G1 streamer, Chord Qutest DAC, Rega P2 with Goldring E3 cartridge. Cables were acoustic zen absolute copper interconnects with Gargantua and Krakatoa power cords. Speaker cables were purist aqueous 25th anniversary. 
It was actually a great sounding system. Easily revealed differences in tubes and cables. I upgraded the cartridge later to Hana EL and the rogue had no issues. 
Yes the sutherland kc vibe mk2 was better and Sutherland 20/20 Mk2 after it took it yet to another level. But there were no issues with performance of RP1 including its in-built phono considering cost. 

Oh and I’ll add - one thing I wasn’t impressed with was the headphones section. Which is a non issue for me. I use headphones that require that type of jack once in a blue moon. I tried it with HD580 it was ok but I just don’t care for headphones so may be don’t even take this into consideration.