I'm not familiar with your phono stage, but I can say this:
I had the Benz Silver for quite a while in a VPI HW-19 IV w/ AudioQuest PT-8 arm. I though it was quite good; only downside was that it didn't have quite enough output for the phone stage of my Modulus 3A which is designed for MM not MC. Last summer I upgraded to the Aurum Beta-S which is excellent--better bass, more detail, slightly more natural than the Silver. If your phono stage is designed for MM I highly recommend the Beta-S, which is only slightly above your budget (retail $450, if I recall correclty, but you can get it for less).
I had the Benz Silver for quite a while in a VPI HW-19 IV w/ AudioQuest PT-8 arm. I though it was quite good; only downside was that it didn't have quite enough output for the phone stage of my Modulus 3A which is designed for MM not MC. Last summer I upgraded to the Aurum Beta-S which is excellent--better bass, more detail, slightly more natural than the Silver. If your phono stage is designed for MM I highly recommend the Beta-S, which is only slightly above your budget (retail $450, if I recall correclty, but you can get it for less).