a dilemma for cartridge/phono stage combination

thanks again everyone for trying to help, since i’m a bit lost here.
to emphasize that, i purchased recently , after reading very good reviews, a Pickering XSV 3000 /Stylus D3001E , and was very disappointed from the result.
right now i’m working with an old MM audio technica cartridge i had at home (at11e) . the gain is o.k and sounding reasonable, but i’m not planning to stay with it.
the benz micro i had was 2.0 mv.
i’ll try as much as i know to bring relevant info about my amps.
i have right now two integrated amps.
one is the creek audio 4240 that come originally with line output only, but there was an option to fit a phono MM or MC pcb to replace the aux line level, and i did it.
i think it was kind of a printed card, or something like it.
i don’t know if it was MM or MC , think MM but not sure.
the original amp inputs are " in the reagion of 350 mv’s".
that’s all i know.
the second one, and the one i’m using now since i preferred it a bit in my current circumstances, is a vintage Pioneer SX-880 receiver.
"Input sensitivity: 2.5mV (MM), 150mV (line)".
that all i know about it.
i suppose that some time in the future i’ll buy a better amp.
maybe tube or highbreed, but right now this is my system.

lewm - you are totally right about my situation with the alpha 2.
i have to raise the amp gain almost to maximum and it still not enough .


sbank - unfortunately i don't have any info about the  loading and  capacitance .

If you like your phono preamp rather than replace it I would get a Step Up Transformer (SUT) **if** you decide on a low output cartridge.

The SUT will have to be properly loaded (which is usually a resistor-capacitor combination) depending on the cartridge. Some of the very best SUTs are made by Jensen Transformers. They have loading information for a large variety of cartridges.
The Hana is a very good recommendation BTW.

thank you.
right now i don’t have an external phono preamp and i can’t say if i like the one that build in.
i am on the way to buy a new cartridge .
i had one with 2.0 mv output.
in several places i read that low output mc are generally better in sound then high output .
right now if i’ll buy a low mc it will not work well with my preamp,
so i’m trying to decide what combination will be best for me.
i read that there are some disagreements about what is better SUT or phono stage.
some say that SUT can add some coloration, hum, and you must find a very accurate calibration.
since i didn’t decide yet which cartridge i’ll buy , it can be one of the benz micro, or using my monster alpha 2 that i have at home, i’m a bit confused what to do.
and which sut or phono preamp will be the best match with my cartridge?

tried to find out prices of Jensen sut’s.
do you mean one of those?
https://www.cs1.net/products/jensen_transformers/MC-2RR.htm

maybe i don’t understand how it works , but i don’t see there any way to change some factor, like you usually have in a phonostage/ preamp.
let say compare to this one.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1432618-REG/rolls_mt502_moving_coil_matching_transformer.html