What phono stage candidates should I consider?

Dear Larry: By any standards you have a very nice analog rig: congratulations!!!!!!

That means that you really care about music and about music sound reproduction: great!

Now you are looking for the most important and critical link on the analog chain: the Phonopreamp.

This audio device has a paramount job to translate?\ and amplified the beloved signal that comes from the phono cartridge, in your case from a MC cartridge the Titan.
For do those job that Phonopreamp has at least three very dificult tasks to achieve: high gain to handle low output MC cartridges, achieve that high gain with out noise/distortions and mimic with absolute accuracy the RIAA eq standard with which were recorded all the LPs, this has to do it through and inverse RIAA eq where the deviation from that RIAA eq. has to be accurate between +,- 0.05 db from 20Hz to 20kHz.

For you can find this kind of quality, in my opinion, you need to look for an active high gain Phonopreamp: that means that the Phonopreamp don't use any step up transformer ( internal or external ) that could do a heavy degradation to the cartridge signal.

Next are some issues about step-up transformers SUTs:

The SUT is an old patch for bad SS phonopreamps designs and for the inherent limitations on tube phonopreamps for handle low output MC cartridges. It is a " cheap/easy solution to a complex problem ".

Any SUT has many inherent disadvantages like: distortions generated at the core ( it does not matters if is: air core ), heavy phase discharge ( landslide ), high apt to take hum, the wide zone ( band ) can't go down to DC, severe roll-off at high and low frecuencies, the reactive impedance on the SUT is incompatible with the cartridge impedance: this cause that we never could have flat frecuency response when we are using SUT, this mismatch between the impedances promote that the signal that pass through any SUT will be equalized.
There is no single advantage, in any way, using SUT's, any of them at any price. The SUT always be a : wrong patch.

There are some Phonopreamps that could do the right job or near it: Tom Evans, FM Acoustics, Boulder, Rowland, Klyne, Pass,Classe, Burmester, Gryphon, Krell etc, etc.
Your Reference 32 is a very good line stage but the phono section is not up to the task. Well, in my experience the Levinson phono stages never been one of their strong design area.

Now, if the Phonopreamp is so important maybe you could think something for to have a little wide budget about.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Well do report on this stage which I am also oggling. I have his more modest XR-2 which is quite good especially at its price point. XR-10B obviously higher-end design. Also, have his Stealth pre/head-amp and SR-71. Ray is a pleasure to deal with as well. Not that you need to since so far no issues with any of my devices, but Ray will take the time to explain his designs.

You may want to try the lower-gain Artemis PH-1 (52 db) instead of the PL-1 (72 db). The PL-1 is simply the PH-1 with a builtin Sowter 10:1 transformer that provides an additional 20 db gain. The PH-1 would allow you to choose your own MC transformer, and you may even find the 52 db gain is adequate for a medium-output cartridge without a transformer.

I have been using the PH-1 for over a month now with outboard Jensen 10:1 transformers. The resulting 72 db gain is more than my system needs for a low output Benz L2 (.25 mv). But if I bypass the transformers, the 52 db gain is not enough; there is audible tube rush. With your .5 mv cartridge, you may find that you can run it straight in and have adequate gain without any transformers.

If you do audition an Artemis, make sure it has been well broken in with actual signal. I believe the mfr runs them in with signal for a few hours before they get shipped out, but it isn't nearly enough since the sound quality changes rather dramatically over several weeks of use. After two weeks, I was ready to return my unit since it didn't provide the inner detail and microdynamics of my DIY phono stages. However, after another week the Artemis was superior, so I kept it. Unfortunately, it's hard to log these hours of actual use with a phono stage. You need to play a lot of records.

Good luck.

Dave

a phono stage in your pre would be the best thing which would cost the least if they offer it.

ARC PH-5, although if you read every review you are bound to find one that will not be flattering, or wait until te PH-7 is out, and a step-up transformer (EAR, Audio Note, used Ortofon with silver wire).