Looking for a phono stage to go with my system

Try the AMR IPhono which costs about $400.00 new. Probably one of the big on line retailers sells it. You can Try it and return it if you aren't happy. Extremely great sound, ridiculous amounts of adjustability at this price, and it sounds good too. Solid State and small.

Are you running the receiver as your amp and pre? If so I would wait and save for a good integrated with good phono.

At your budget, normally I would suggest the Phonomena II too. But running your great table & cartridge though the Phonomena into an AVR is simply negating all the 2 channel performance you can be enjoying.

So I agree with Truemaineiac and save up for a quality 2 channel integrated that already has a good phono section. Make sure the integrated has a HT Bypass or "power amp" direct feature so you can easily incorporate this unit into your existing surround sound system.

Sorry, but I have found the 2 channel preamp sections in modern AVR's are merely an afterthought. There is 2 channel stereo that dedicated stereo components are designed for and then there is HT Surround sound. Two different things entirely and with the table and cartridge you have invested in, I have to believe you are more serious about the former.

Thanks for everyones input.

I now have two trains of thought. Need to think about this.

Truemaineiac and Paraneer, ( or anybody else ), do you have any suggestions on reasonably priced integrates that have good reputations on quality that would have the features you pointed out?

Would need to know what your main speakers are and budget. Then I could give you several suggestions on integrateds to consider; all having the HT bypass feature that I mentioned above.