My ARC SP6 C1 has a reasonably good phono section. My issues with this preamp are: Not enough gain for low output MC cartridges (unless you want to use a head amp). The amp is really picky about tubes compared to other tubes units I have owned. The SP6 C1 uses 4 12ax7 tubes and 2 6dj8. The SP6, SP6b uses all 12ax7s. Some prefer the earlier units, but I find that the 6dj8 has a signal to noise ratio that is about 8 db better than the 12ax7s. I went through lots of tube rolling to find a good set of tubes that I am happy with -this makes a huge difference in sound quality like night and day. Their is muting circuit that can be troublesome on the SP6 (just google this on the web). Mine has been moded professionaly. They are good units and seem to hold their values between $600-800, (good bang for the buck). Issues aside, they are well built, sound good, have plenty of line level gain, they are fairly reliable for tube gear and you can still get parts /service (unlike a Counterpoint preamp I had years ago).
