Greg,
I know your post was from some time ago but I use a PS Audio III phono stage and LLC Preamp and love it. I have been through many higher priced combinations and always come back to the PS. I have a friend who has been into audio forever and he has never found a better phono stage than PS III. I don't even look at other phono stages anymore! If you are patient, they go cheap as well. I spent all of $140 for my PS III/LLC combo from a used audio dealer online. I've had Monolithic, Antique Sound, Creek, Gram Slee and several tubed Chinese models and nothing has come close to the PS III. There is a great review from "The Audio Critic" dated 1979. He said it was as good if not better to his reference Cotter System 2. He said the PS III and the LCC sounded cleaner and more transparent than any other complete preamp signal paths he had tested. That has been my experience. Audio Critic as far as I know never had any advertisers and actually tested equipment with square waves, etc. Very scientific. I almost hate posting this because it's such a great sleeper item I don't want to wake up any interest.
I know your post was from some time ago but I use a PS Audio III phono stage and LLC Preamp and love it. I have been through many higher priced combinations and always come back to the PS. I have a friend who has been into audio forever and he has never found a better phono stage than PS III. I don't even look at other phono stages anymore! If you are patient, they go cheap as well. I spent all of $140 for my PS III/LLC combo from a used audio dealer online. I've had Monolithic, Antique Sound, Creek, Gram Slee and several tubed Chinese models and nothing has come close to the PS III. There is a great review from "The Audio Critic" dated 1979. He said it was as good if not better to his reference Cotter System 2. He said the PS III and the LCC sounded cleaner and more transparent than any other complete preamp signal paths he had tested. That has been my experience. Audio Critic as far as I know never had any advertisers and actually tested equipment with square waves, etc. Very scientific. I almost hate posting this because it's such a great sleeper item I don't want to wake up any interest.