A new phono pre, to replace my clearaudio basic

Hi Mordante, you may recall I have high esteem for the Basic+/Accu+ combo (see the thread "What's the difference..." that you also posted in). I do believe it is far better than the old Basic. Ideally though, and given the opportunity, also listen to what the 834P tubes do for you. If that is not your cup of tea, I can advise the combo with confidence. Perhaps one alternative you may want to consider if you go Clearaudio is the Symphono+ which is about the price of the Basic+/Accu+ combo but can be upgraded afterwards with the Accu+ as well. (I went from the original Basic to a Tim de Paravicini tube amp myself but eventually returned to a ss design).
Happy listening.

I have two EAR834Ps being fed by a Helikon/Aries/10.5 and the other by a Argo i/MM7.

This is one of the best values in an MC phono stage. Also if you go this route you might want to install some Telefunkens.

Add the Heed Quasar to your short list and if you're looking for more transparency, you might want to consider more open cables.

Dealer disclosure.

Given the rest of your system you really should consider upgrading one or both of your Rotel pieces before upgrading your phono amp. The Clearaudio is ok for now and I really think the rest of your system deserves higher quality amplification. I would do the linestage first, maybe even find a full-function unit, I suggest tubes, then you solve two problems at once. Happy listening!