Is a Phono required?

Lefti: You don't indicate in your initial post if you are (or will be) using your preamp in a home theater system. If you are (or will be), then you might consider a good preamp/processor that has a high-quality analog bypass circuit. There are a number of good (mostly solid state) choices with analog bypass now available, including units from Bryston, Rotel, B&K, and Parasound, as well as pricier units further up the highend foodchain.

The other thing I was going to say if you answered my query in the affirmative, was that you could look into getting a phonostage which has its own output level control(s), and bypass the digital pre altogether when you wanted to for straight analog listening (something that obviously wouldn't be as important if you replaced the EAD).

Damned digital equipment are so marvelous in its flexibility, as long as you're pleased with the digital domain. As soon as you want to listen to an unsampled analog source, it all falls apart...

As a result, I'm planning on selling my EAD ovation and use the proceeds to get a 2-channel tubed pre. I'm moving the tv into a different room, and I'll get an outlaw receiver to play the 2131823832980331.1 multi-channel stuff...

Which is exactly what I did Leftist. You WON'T regret making the change. "Give" all of the umptee.1 stuff to your wife, if you have one, for the TV room. She'll love you for it and you'll get your own "stuff".