Phono stage for Benz Wood H2

Thanks for the suggestions. I will probably look for something on the marketplace here. Any suggestions around the $500 used range? I read somewhere that Cary makes a good pre to match the Benz Hi-Output MC.

I was wondering if someone could educate me on the importance of gain in the pre-amp. What would be an optimal level of gain to look for?

Thanks Piedpiper. If you think the AES Cary PH-1 would be a noisy, then do you have any other suggestions to match this cart? I have no experience with tubes, so I am not even sure what the noise you are referring to would be. Does it eminate from the pre-amp itself or though the speakers? What are some stages that have 40db of gain? The AES is at 36, so that seems close, but it sounds like I should be looking at ~40 or a little above.

This is really excellent information. Thanks for everyones input. As it is now with the stage I have, I really need to crank up the volume, esp on some particular records. I had been operating an ancient Marantz 6300 w/ a Shure M91 cart and recently picked up my current setup here as I started to upgrade my sytem. I will look into the suggestions listed. Obviously, any follow up comments are appreciated. Thanks!