Nagra VPS or Tron Seven Ref phono stages?

Cleans up the soundstage and brings out more relaxed and warm sound but a bit more detail due to lower noise floor, I agree it's pricey, but really looks good also...so not more clean/sterile for sure...

I suspect something like a symposium ultra or gran prix apex footers are also great idea for less $

I too own a PL-L and it is located on a Grand Prix Audio Monaco rack with F1 shelves. Despite my skepticism, the VFS actually improved the presentation in ways similar to what Jfrech mentioned over placing it on the Monaco directly. I purchased it.

...what about manley labs steelhead or lamm lp2?

These are something different.They do a lot of things right (tone, staging, swing, body, size, time differences...) but of course it depends on you what you expect and demand. The Steelhead is interesting, there is much worse out there. The Lamm LP2 is a unit you will only know how good it is when you know what others do wrong. Lamm offers that one in a - non promoted series for the fanatic low output MC owner - high gain version, 70dB without extra pricing instead of 58dB.... 'nuff said :-)

I haven't heard the Nagra, but I have heard the TRON. Anyway forget what I've heard. Thomas Woschnick (the TW Acustic turntable designer) uses a TRON Seven Reference in his own system. Apparently he wouldn't let GT take the TRON back to the UK after GT brought it to his home to listen to last year. Now I would trust TW's judgement.

My 2 cents.. My system consists of: Mcintosch C2300 Preamp, 2 MC2000 tube amps, 1 MC352, JBL 4345,s Modded Khorns (alk xtreme slope crossovers, crites tweeter, alk trachorn, JBL 2470 drivers,solid silver wire)Basis debut sig, Vaccum tablr, Graham Phantom11, Van den Hul colibri's Dynavector XV1S. I've owned Sutherland PHD, sold it after heard the Manley steelhead 11, bought that, then got my C2300 Mac, (actually liked the phono section better than the Manley)! Then I heard the the Tron 7 reference...HAD to have it and DID! Not lookin for anything else, soundstage is awesome in my system. I usee Telefunken ECC803's, and ECC801S....