Phono preamp under 1k new or used advice?


I decided to keep the rega brio R, and take the rega P5 out of the storage and enjoy listening to Vinyl again, once one member told me when you get to this point digital will not be satisfying and i am staring to believe in those words three years ago.
I though in graduate school an iPod with 30k songs and a monster iPod stations friends gave me for my birthday will be ok and do the job.
after 3 weeks in PR i started hating the sound and decided to go analog with the rega RP1, but now i am taking my p5 in NJ out of storage and ship it hear.
i received today the Stan Getz and charlie Byrd, jazz samba, just to make me aware that my soul is totally connected to the analog sound and image, need to upgrade the rega brio R built in phono.
thanks
128x128junglern
Yes, get that Acoustech right away. I use the original version and it is very good. This one should be even a little better. And throw out that garbage stock power cord.
For me, the great advantage to the PS GCPH is that it can be run straight into a power amp, bypassing the necessity of a preamp. Doing so seems to open up the sound nicely, even though the preamp I was using is a Classe Thirty, a very decent preamp on its own. that feature, combined with remote control, remote mono and remote phase switching are features I wish every phono preamp had. Its sort of the antithesis of the line only preamp.
From what I've read the Jolida JD9 might be better, and Spearit Sound has it for sale at a good price ($500?) new on Audiogon right now. I auditioned the PS GCPH against SimAudio phono and Herron VTPH-1, and the PS Audio came in 3rd place....a bit of a veil on the upper registers in my system.
I should clarify my inference -- The Herron placed first by a wide margin. Simaudio and PS Audio were fine units (I own a PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC/bridge and love it; they build great stuff). I read some articles where the reviewers thought the Jolida was at least the equal of the Herron phono (hard to imagine because I have had the VTPH-1 and now have the VTPH-2, and nothing I've auditioned bests the VTPH-2).
I have a Dodd battery powered phono preamp that I consider equal to anything out there and would be in your price bracket used. It will only handle high output cartridges and the battery power is a pain, but the sound and price is worth it.

You might have a hard time finding a used one for sale though.

Bob