Shopping for a preamp

I second the Ayre K1xe with built in phono.  Mmmmmmm gooooood!  Also consider a Sanders preamp (it has a built in phono stage).  I am using one right now as Joni Mitchell sings up close and personal.  

The only comparison I made was with the ARC and with the Herron performing so close to this unit at basically a third of the price I didn’t need to look any further. Keith let me audition the unit in my home and it never went back.

Looks like there is a VTPH-2 on this site for sale; no affiliation. They don't come up used very often.

Chuck

Please check out the Convergent Audio Technologies/ CAT SL1 preamplifier.  No affiliation.  I bought one recently on Audiogon after my tube vendor praised it so highly.  He's been at this for Forty years.  The tube expert was dead on.  He and the seller said that the phono stage is a must to listen to.  I've been in awe.  All I want to do is listen these days.  Happy hunting, Roy

Spend more money if you like, but you're not going to find anything better than the SP14 line state preamp and PH16 phono preamp at tubes4hifi.com

I absolutely second the post from russbutton above.  However, Don Sachs Consulting takes the basic 6SN7 actual tube design of the SP14 to a much higher degree with his custom version, using the 64 step Khozmo pot and Mundorf silver oil caps. It betters the legendary performance of the HK-CI that Don earlier upgraded for me.  His phono stage is "killer", too.  I vastly prefer Don's preamp to my former Modwright preamp and that was very good too.  You could spend many times the money that you would spend for Don's preamp and not get better sound.  Google "Don Sachs Consulting" and look for the custom line stage link.  Don is the nicest guy in the business, too.