Phone Preamp help for VPI Scout w Grado Sonota MM

went through all of this a year ago- went with the vpi scout with the dyna 20x, skipped the phono pre built into my mac, and finally found nirvana with the arc ph-5---its a bit over your budget ( around 1300-1500 used on agon) but , imho, far outdoes the two you mentioned-no contest-of the two you mentioned, I preferred the ear834p.

Thanks for the feedback. Waiting and saving a little more for my budget is always an option if that makes sense. What would you say were the differences you heard in the arc ph-5, era gold, and ear with the Scout/Dyna combo?

I am a VPI dealer and am currently investigating the same question as I use a MF M3 NuVista for demos. Have been using an older Vendetta step up into the MF's MM phono stage. In a recent HIFICRITIC test the PRO-JECT TUBE BOX 11 SE did very well, considerably bettering the Slee + Elevator. See test results on their web site. I am currently in negotiations with Sumiko for PROJECT and with Dynavector for their P 75 phono stage. I don't sell new products on audiogon so I am not campaigning for a sale, just letting you know what I had been looking at in the way of phono stages. These are $700 and $750.

I went to the HIFICRITIC website but couldn't find the article. Do you have the link. I would be interested to read it.

A remarkably little SS phono box. You just experiment with the user dip swtches to find the right impedance and gain. Ignore the supossedly correct positions they are just wrong but you can find the right combo easily enough. I am using it with an MM at the moment but it has the gain for a moderate MC.
It is a much more musical creature than my Graham Slee Amp 2 SE which I was told was a giant killer. I find it a bit harsh- but yes indeed -it has the cruel real audiophile's brutally sterile and that nUetral sonic.
Absolutely perfectly clean impossibly low noise floor and all that. It is very clean without noise or other obvious faults. I am using it with with my Scout. The cartridge is a ridiculously revealing detail retrieving finder, A Dyna 20X High output MC.
The name of this little miracle musical job I mentioned above is an Australian product by Redgum audio. The only place I know that has it in stock is Quest for Sound. You can find Stephen Monte or the Quest president and wholey owned NAT distributing- as one of the official Audiogon dealers. They are othwise beyond hard to find. The down side is that despite the crazy good sonics it seems like it should cost less than the $4-500 they do. Primarily because it is small.
My personal take on the sumiko project phono stage is that it was made to look like a good pre not sound any good I think they are dull and noisy. Just my 2 cents I am sure I will be toasted for telling the emporor he has no clothes.
If you e-mail me I have a bunch of really good tubes and a legendary phono just hanging about to put themm in.