Arcam Alpha 9 phono stage question

Hey all,

I have an Arcam Alpha 9 preamp, which has a slot for an on-board phono stage. Due to limited shelf space, I try to consolidate pieces whenever possible - an uphill battle to say the least.

I was thinking about spending the cash to get the upgrade phono stage for the Arcam. I don't doubt it will be a step down from my outboard phono stage I use now (a Musical Fidelity X-LPS) but I'm hoping it's not a huge step.

Anyone have any experience with the Arcam phono cards? It's the same phono stage that the Alpha integrated amps used.

Thanks in advance!