Requesting recommendations for phono stage

You will certainly get an improvement with a separate phono stage.

I own the Herron VTPH-2A, which is out of your price range.

Of the stages I've personally heard, I can recommend a short list of new products.

Musical Surroundings Nova III
Parasound JC 3 Jr
Sutherland Insight

All are very good sounding preamps with options for virtually any cartridge you might want in the future.

There are undoubtedly many others in this range, plus many more if you are willing to go pre-owned.

At this price point, I would personally stay away from tube stages, unless I were willing to buy on the pre-owned market.  That doesn't mean you should.

The phonostage in the PL is equivalent to a $200 outboard phono stage-subjectively. You can buy a more versatile unit for that price meaning choice of cartridge is greater. The options with the on board phonostage is a cart with a 2.5volt output meaning trying a moving coil is limited to hi output models.

I had Prologue 2 years ago with the option. $1500 will get you noticeable SQ improvement, especially used. That means finding something that retailed for double. The SS/tube debate will have you more confused. Decide which you would like to try and just  get it.

mabonn, the price range you are at makes this about as easy as can be- the Decware ZP3 is darn near unbeatable. I am another happy Herron owner but Keith made his last one last week and anyway they are too expensive even used. The Decware is perfect, new, lifetime warranty, and with your MM cart you will not even need a SUT. But if you grow and upgrade into MC then Decware has a SUT program that makes this easy. So not a lot of things you can do one and done but this may well be all you need for a good long time. https://www.decware.com/newsite/ZP3.htm

Direct sales only, so you are getting what would retail for $3k to $4k for $1395. Search around. You will have to look for actual user comments because they do not give these things away for good reviews, people have to actually buy them. When you are disappointed at the wait times for a build realize this is the way it is with the really good stuff. Crap is always just sitting around waiting for some fool to come along. The good stuff people ferret it out and the skilled craftsmanship necessary to make it is barely enough to meet the demand. 

Hagerman Trumpet MC. Save yourself $400. Fantastic value and pre.