One month later...
I have settled in with the EAR MC-4 more. I have adjusted the set-up. I now use the 12 ohm tap instead of the 40 ohm tap on the MC-4. The 12 ohm tap provides 18x voltage gain instead of the 10x of the 40 ohm tap.
While the EAR MC-4 is MUCH quieter than the JFET in the MC stage of the phono stage (actually this is an understatement - the EAR is dead quiet), the 40 ohm tap presents two problems:
1) It gives me the same 20dB gain as I get when I used the MC stage - I don't gain any gain. With my line stage providing only 12dB in SE mode, I still had to turn the line stage to the same volume level for similar gain. At "fun" listening levels, this produces surface noise even on immaculately clean LPs; and
2) My Clearaudio cartridge likes to see 150 - 200 resistance from the phono stage. Clearaudio actually sets their phono stages to a factory stock of 200ohms. Using the 40 ohm tap, I am at 499; using the 12 ohm tap, I am at 154 - a much more musical presentation for my ears.
I realize that with a cartridge impedance of 32 ohms, I am "breaking" the rules - I was told to use the tap nearest the cartridge impedance. In addition, the all tube MM stage is seeing a cartridge output of about 12.6mV - a tad high (though Tim de Paravicini told me you had to get to around 14 before you typically had any issues).
To date, I have had no problems and I use less gain at the line stage, producing a vastly quiet system even at "fun" volume levels.
I guess the lesson is read, learn, ask questions and then experiment.
Thanks everyone.