What's A Good Upgrade From A Manley Steelhead?

@wrm57 Thanks, I'm a fan of Allnic gear, I've had their 5000DHT preamp, A6000 monoblocks and I still have their H1202 phonostage in a second system. I don't see an H3000 on the used market but I'll keep an eye open. 

If your Steelhead is still in warranty, I do understand your not wanting to modify it, as that would void the warranty.  Fortunately for me, that was not an issue.  Also, I had the needed upgrade capacitors in my stash of spare parts, so no new money needed to be spent.  I did the work myself, so for zero cost, the upgrade was and is major.

Dear @rooze  : My mistake sorry.

This is the rigth unit I was talking about:

R.

Here at the other extreme what could be the phono stage " bargain ". Read carefully the review and even if you could not care take a look to the J.Atkinson real time measurements. The unit is way way better than what's price could tells us and yes it's an upgrade from your Manley.

In the other side the worst audio system place to use/have tube alternative is at the prhono stage link:

R.

@rooze: Congratulations on having such a good system that you feel a need for an upgrade from your Steelhead phono pre-amp. We should all be so fortunate!

At the risk of appearing condescending (I hate that), may I suggest that a "deeper dive" into the music you love might provide a more meaningful improvement to your musical life than a "mere" component upgrade (if such is even a possibility) would? But then I consider musical enjoyment and appreciation the goal of all hi-fi endeavors. If I seem out of line, I apologize in advance.

In the past six or seven years I have added a great number of recordings to my music library (the term I prefer to collection), which has greatly advanced my ambition to absorb as much music as I can before my inevitable (and presumably impending) demise. Does your Steelhead provide a better reproduction of the music contained in your LP’s than does my Herron? Sure, if reports are to be believed (I’ve never heard the Steelhead). But it can only reproduce the music contained in your LP library. It is my opinion that the price of one’s hi-fi system should be kept in proportion to the amount of $ one has invested in his or hers music library. Not everyone agrees with that philosophy.