Building my 'first' system - Advice on Phono preamp please

Your first proper system is a key statement. Don’t start out too exotic or your mis-match may end up costing you dearly. In the beginning it may behoove your interest by sticking to the basic’s and eventually add a little flair. The manufacturer has most likely done most of the compatibility research for you. Add a good set of speakers and it’s off to the races. Usually the manufacture will recommend what impedance to look for when selecting speakers in order to achieve maximum performance for their particular system. Many of the newer units have built in DACS and offer a wide variety of I/O’s for expansion. There’s nothing worse than finding out a few weeks down the road that your system can’t support the add-on. Quite honestly it’s your listening pleasure that should be driving what to look for in a system. It’s only my opinion but I found over time that tube systems offer more resonance and warmth for an instrumental genre while solid state systems have more defined edges that enhances hard rock music.