Phono preamps

For the price, it's hard to beat the Bellari VP-129. Sounds much more expensive than it is. There's one for sale for $200 brand new.

If you are considering used, the Lehmann's Black Cube is just a hair more than that price point. I'll have one for sale shortly. Let me know if you are interested.

Stay away from the NAD. I had one about a week and returned it. Not much better than a hand held transistor radio...

A phono preamp around the $200 price point that can also do MC is a bit of a challenge. The only other one I can immediately think of is a Goldring. I think the model number is PA-100. Strictly speaking, it's a MM unit, but it is competent with high output MC cartridges. I can't comment on its performance relative to the other units mentioned.

I also owned the Parasound PPH-100 and I would look elsewhere. I was using a high output MC cartridge, the gain was barely OK but the sound was very dull and uninvolving. For about the same money I would go with the Bellari mentioned above.