table, phono preamp or cartridge?

65db gain on a 5mV output cartridge strikes me as excessive. How far up the volume control do you get?

If you like MM carts then you couldn't do better than spending some quality time on Raul's big MM thread. Find one of those recommended carts and enjoy the ride. Or, given your price range, buy an AT 150 ANV MM cart and be done with the cart deliberating part of it.

Get some tubes in there. A nice tube phono stage would be nice :)

I tend to lean against tubes in a phono stage due to tube noise issues, especially if you are running an LOMC. Due to the small signal sizes involved. This from someone with tubes in both my preamp and amp.

the Rogue he owns has a tubed stage, no?

Dear Mswobo: IMHO try to have the best phonolinepreamp you can get because it's there where that precious cartridge signal is proccessed and where that cartridge signal " suffer " or can " suffer " a very hig degradation, so as better your phonolinepreamp as better quality performance level you can achieve for any cartridge you own.

Latter on you can go for the Black or whatever knowing that you have the " right " phonolinepreamp to honor that cartridge.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.