EAT E-Glo Petit vs. Rogue Ares

Well my budget was $1,500 and the dealer said the EAT would be a great buy at that price but going to a 2k Ares would be a good step up and the $2,800 Ares Magnum a really great step up.

I'd like to stay at $1500 unless the Ares is a pretty major step up over the EAT. I could do Magnum upgrade later if I chose the Rogue.

Not to make an enemy of your dealer, but Ares phono stages, in various configurations, show up frequently on the used market in the 1100 - 1800 price range. And Rogue provides such great support for their products, you don’t really need a warranty or 1st ownership to have good peace of mind.

Again, Rogue used to offer the 1254 upgrade without the other Magnum upgrades, for ~ 50% of the upgrade price ($400). And that 1254 alone will give you at least 80% of the Magnum’s full sonic benefits, plus an extra 6dB of max gain.

The EAT uses Lundahl SUT for extra MC gain, 12ax7 for RIAA stage, and FET output stage - I think this is the 1st phono stage I’ve heard of with all 3 used together. The Lundahl used is listed as LL1932 but they must have meant LL1931 (no such LL1932 is listed by Lundahl)? Personally I prefer the Cinemag 1254 over Lundahl LL 1931.

The Hagerman Trumpet MC is also a super buy at under $1500 :) 

I had great luck with the E-Glo petite. It was quiet, had body, fast, and IMO a step up from the more $$$ "S" model. 
For a fairly cheap but substantial upgrade try the new issue TungSol tubes. For a little more the Telefunken smooth plates or ribbed plates are great. Also down the road think about the EAT LPS power supply it takes it up another notch too.
But 3ven on it's own new the E glo petite is really good. Message me if have any other questions on it if you like. I think it's a killer phono and compared it to a few others here while I had it.

Thanks, great to hear the positive review. I really like what I've heard about the Petit. 
The Ares sounds like a great choice too, albeit for $500-$1,300 more.
Really torn on which to choose.