preamp help

It's common for cd players to have more output voltage than phono stages. Actually, this is almost always true, which translates into cds being louder at lower volume than your TT. If the voltage from your phono preamp is too low, you'll hear more hiss and noise than you should. With vinyl, it's better to have plenty of gain than not enough.

Your Grado Gold has an output of 5 mV and needs at least 36 dB of phono gain to sound best. I'm using KAB's phono calculator to get this number. The Bellari is less than ideal in your system and is probably introducing quite a bit of noise. If you go with the Jolida JD9, it will grow with you if you upgrade your TT and cartridge. Of course, there are plenty of other phono stages to consider, but the JD9 is excellent for the price.

Thanks for the great info. Are there better options for about the same price? Thanks again.

Are there better options for about the same price?

Not that I'm aware of. I think it will be hard to find a better sounding phono stage for $300.

Well I emailed jolida dot net twice today and have heard nothing in return. Beginning to wonder if they actually exist.

I think Jolida is located in China, so give them some time to reply. If it's too much trouble to deal with an international purchase (shipping, Customs, etc.), look for a used JD9 on Audiogon. They come up quite often.