Preamp with quality MC phono section

Nsgarch,

Thank you for your detailed reply. I am currently using a Deja Vu tubed preamp with a builtin phono section which is a very nice quality preamp. My turntable is a Artemis/Schroder with the Artemis/Schroder arm and a LOMC.
Also using a 2A3 tube amp on Lambhorn speakers. As stated the Deja Vu preamp is exceptional but I am wordering what the next preamp upgrade might be.

Bob, I'm not really familiar with your preamp (website?) but it appears your system is currently single-ended throughout? The other units you listed are all very fine first-rate equipment, but all single-ended units; except I think the Doshi is available with (semi) balanced outputs.

My Levinson setup (pre and phono) was hard to beat. But for the reasons I explained above (i.e. the benefits of tubes in amplification) I really wanted to have or at least hear a tube phonoamp. There are many fine ones to choose from, but except for BAT, they're all single ended, and I wanted my cake and eat it too (meaning tubes + balanced) and that seemed impossible to find -- unless somebody here knows something I missed, please say so ;~)

Anyway, when I had the chance to experience the phonoamp I desired, even though it came in the form of a preamp-with-phonostage, I thought I'd give the Atma-Sphere a try. And since you said you were specifically interested in a preamp-with-phonostage, I thought I'd suggest it. Of course my preamp, DAC, and amp, are already balanced devices (the tuner and cassette player are not) so the Atma-Sphere preamp, with the kind of phonostage I wanted, was (almost) a no-brainer for me -- assuming its linestage would be a top-notch performer too, and it definitely is that! Now I'm hearing things coming from my Transfiguration Temper W cartridge I never imagined I would, so I'm pretty happy with how things turned out.
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Bob, One of the best in the market today are the McIntosh C2300, C500, and C1000, all have built in MM and MC phono stage.

If you don't need a lot of control flexibility, the Aesthetix Io phono amp has sufficient gain (and a volume control) to allow direct connection to your power amp. Worth checking out if you can find one to audition.

Marty

The Manley Steelhead is worth looking into. In addition to being a phono preamp it has a volume control and an input that will allow you to use an additional source (for example, if you also listen to digital). Me personally, I own an Atma-Sphere amp and am going in the direction of the MP-3 for many of the same reasons stated by Nsgarch. Mine is going to be slightly customized with a tape equalization circuit so I can run a signal from the tape head of my Otari through the preamp as well.

Of those on your list I am familiar with VAC having once owned the Avatar SE. While I found the phono section to be exceptional, I would have to assume the newer VAC designs would take it up a few notches. I bought my first tube system from Vu at Deja Vu Audio back in 1996 and even back then he was building amps and preamps for customers on a limited basis that were quite exceptional. They had a bit of a cult following then and apparently still do. Don't sell yourself short on what you already have. It may not have the bling but it can certainly sing with the rest on your list.