Phono preamp or preamp with phono selection ????

For someone just starting an analog adventure (vinyl, not tape) you can let your choice of cartridge determine the type of preamp(s) or vice versa.

My advice is: start simple. You can always get complex, and at the beginning, simple always gets you the best stuff for your dollar. In that spirit, go for a preamp with an on board phono section (or phonostage, as this feature is called.)

The thing about preamps with phonostages is that the phono preamp part of the preamp has only enough gain to amplify higher output cartridges like Shure moving magnet, Grado moving iron, or some of the high output moving coil cartridges like a van den Hul Two. That still leaves you a lot of choices in cartridges.

And as Dsremer indicated, their are some real bargains in preamps with phonostages. One of my favorites (and it has a universally regarded killer phonostage) is the Audio Research SP-14. I sold one last year for, I think $1150.

Maybe one day you'll want to try a lower output moving coil cartridge. At that time, you'll have to buy a separate phono preamp with more gain than the phonostage in your preamp. You may or may not want to change your main preamp at that time, but you don't have to. You just won't be using its onboard phonostage anymore.

At your stated price point, the VPI Scout is a great buy with excellent sound. For a bit more, the VPI ScoutMaster is an even better turntable. To my eye, these are attractive turntables, but perhaps more appealing to those who value the "form follows function" design aesthetic. You sure can't beat the sound quality, reliability and ease of use, though.

As to phono preamps, as C123666 comments "Both ways are excellent". A full function preamp with integrated phono is more cost effective to manufacture and eliminates a set of interconnect cables from the equation. The tradeoff is that there is more design execution freedom (e.g., for a more massive power supply) when the phono stage is in a separate chassis.

A case in point is the Aesthetix Saturn series of preamps. All are excellent at their respective price points. The Aesthetix Janus full function preamp with phono is very very good. Its higher priced sibling, the phono stage only Aesthetix Rhea combined with the separate Calypso line stage is better. (To some extent the improving sonic results are the result of being able to build the units at a higher price point with more expensive components. Clearly it's not just the result of throwing the same parts into two separate boxes.)

You can take this design approach even further to the Aesthetix Jupiter series where separate power supply chassis are used (so each unit is two chassis, with the option to use two power supply chassis for a total of three), and the sonic reward is even greater.

If you already have a line stage you're pleased with, then without a doubt the most cost effective way to go will be to add a separate phono stage only unit. There are many options here all up and down the price continuum.

Good luck!

Also,,,used Audio Research SP9 and SP9 Mk II units are great values. You must assume you will put material money in servicing them since they are 15 years or more old. The MkII brings materially more money but I have no idea if it is worth the extra money. The AR fans can chime in on this one.

Also a very good value are the Conrad-Johnson preamps, particularly the PV-9A or Evolution 20 if you can find either one. In my opinion, these were the best of the PV-series full function preamps c-j made. After these two, the need to build to a lower-cost price point in the PV-series had its impact. And, the Premier 7 set its own standard.
.

The Aesthetix stuff is very good; it is also very, very expensive for even their entry level model.