If you are interested in performing some lower-cost experiments in the meantime, I would consider trying a Parks Audio Budgie tube phono stage in place of the PP2 ($400), and a pair of Magneplanar MMG speakers ($600). The latter can be auditioned for 60 days in your home, satisfaction guaranteed or return for a full refund. Call the factory directly to order. The MMGs should be revealing enough for any subsequent auditions of upstream components, and you will find out whether you are partial to the planar dipole "you are there" style of presentation.
Sometimes it is difficult to know what the bottleneck in an existing system is. If it is the speakers, it really limits the effectiveness of auditioning by masking or mis-characterizing real differences. If the Budgie preamp doesn't sound distinctly different than the PP2 with your current speakers, perhaps they are not resolving enough to make decisions by.
