Phono stage suggestions?

The Pass XONO is a truly great solid state unit with multiple MC settings, has no cool or etched quality, and is dead quiet. The new Lamm LP2 may be even better, if you like tubes, but has no internal adjustments for gain and loading. The Pass can be set to sound marvelous with my Koetsu Rosewood Signature cartridge; the Lamm just does.

I've used the Lehmann Black Cube and the Audiomat Phono-1...both are excellent. I replaced the Black Cube with the Audiomat, so I prefer that over the cube...more detailed and musical, but a completely different feel from the cube. I think the Black Cubes are around $650 new and $400-ish used. The Audiomat Phono-1's are $1000 new.

I recently bought a used Counterpoint SA-5000 and that has a really nice phono stage in it too. I'll probably be seeling my Audiomat and using the Counterpoint instead.

I have a sonic frontiers Sig-1 tube phono which is built like a tank , sounds great & is under priced under 750 used !

Also check out the B.A.T. P5 or P10. All tube, monster power supplies (two huge Toriodial's, one per ch.) zero feedback, etc. TONS of gain.

All the audio adjectives apply to both at a more than reasonable price.

The best phono stages I've heard are the Benz-Lukashek, Pass XONO and the Herron. If I had the $$ and could buy one today it would be the Herron HANDS DOWN. (It's alive!!)There was a used Herron listed here for around $1500.