Snooker, might be possible to buy a used Aesthetix Io (non signature) at the upper limit of your budget. This is my favorite phono, and has lots of possibilities for tube swaps and gain settings to match any situation.
If you ever planned on a high end preamp, the Io is available with volume controls and spare input, making it a one box answer for phono, CD and line stage. Remote control is in the works and expected to show at CES 2003. This could be added as budget permits making it a perfect combination of performance, flexibility and convenience.
If you ever planned on a high end preamp, the Io is available with volume controls and spare input, making it a one box answer for phono, CD and line stage. Remote control is in the works and expected to show at CES 2003. This could be added as budget permits making it a perfect combination of performance, flexibility and convenience.