I don't like the 'concept' of outboard phono stages. Tho in reality, the execution of an outboard phono stage may be better than the apparatus may suggest at a quick glance.
Vinyl, already a very complex medium with re-equalization and huge amounts of signal boosting of meager cartridge voltages to render the signal playable, can get
very complex when you add an outboard phono stage.
You're asking
meager cartridge voltages,
hundreds of times less than CD and tuner outputs, to barrel thru another length of interconnects and one or two pair of additional rca junctions (most often of dissimilar metals, but certainly yet another significant break in the transmission line chain). There are so many places for the cartridge signal to be polluted along the way...why add another potential place for signal degradation?
I don't find tubes to be a 'must have' in a system of all vinyl.....vinyl is quite listenable all solid state. So, if you're going to relegate your CD/Redbook listening to 2nd class status, you can replace your Odyssey Candela with scores of fine solid state preamp of old that included built-in phono stages...often with MM and MC stages if you'd like to experiment later with low output moving coils.
Tending to be the best solid state preamps for phono are those that are Dual Mono in architecture. The stereo separation of vinyl is pretty dreadful - dual mono tends to preserve each channel separation (and dynamics if it actually has two power supplies, too, but not likely to be found for less $2K) better as you run it into your mono amps and into your mono speakers.
2 (preamp) + 2 (amp) + 2 (speakers) = 1 in vinyl playback.
If you still plan on listening to CD and you need to tame the nasties inherent in it, go for a tube preamp. There are a few good ones out there well in your price range when you replace your Candela - Quicksilver Full Function Preamp, the new preamps from Audio by van Alstine, the Mapletree preamp and others (mostly a few years old as built-in phono stages have become rare with tube preamps of late).
By ladling on an outboard phono stage we are potentially muddying the waters with another component. As simple and direct transmission line as you can provide the signal from cartridge on will
likely pay rich dividends in vinyl playback.
Significant food for thought.....John
