Is Coincident Statement Phono pre-amp an overkill

"There's no need to hurry it's not a race" so true Onhwy61.
The premium phono stage can be thought of as a strong building block.
There's no rule that says that every additional component has to be
necessarily expensive to make good music. I don't believe you have to
spend 5k in order to get a wonderful sounding cartridge. Take your time
and get comfortable with what's available in a price range you're at ease
with. Remember that the Coincident will extract all that it can from your
analog front end. You really have to define what your musical/sonic
objectives are then fulfill them in a systematic fashion.

Some people have very expensive systems and yet aren't happy with their
sound. Take time and assemble a system rather than a collection of
numerous expensive components. You're sure off to a good start.
Charles,

Worth every penny, especially when hooked up directly to the amp, which is how I have it.

A Phono Stage is the most critical unit in the whole chain. With no other unit you can win or loose so much. When it is done right, it is not a question of overkill (Science is knowledge ---> RIAA, precision, temperature, parts... ).
We have now a lot more units available, but only very, very few are outstanding. Like a famous European Designer (Mies van der Rohe) once said: "God is in the Detail"

Esstrand,
The case for obtaining a top tier phono stage continues to grow.

Jcharvet, do you use the Coincident Phono like a line-stage for your digital source also ?
Seems it has input for CD player too, so can bypass having a line stage completely.
If you do, can you please tell how good it is with acting as a Line stage for a digital source.