I certainly did not mean to imply that the Cube was "end all". However, I have also listened to the Monolithic and the EAR, but NOT the Trichord. IMHO, the Cube beats the Monolithic by a healthy marign - I actually found the imaging to be much better than the with the Monolithic and did not notice the Monolithic to be all that much "warmer". Plus, the Cube may be one of the most flexible units around in terms of different cartridge outputs. I agree, though, that the Monolithic IS cheaper. I, too, liked the EAR and found it a bit better than the Cube, but at a higher price (even direct from the UK). Of course, all this applies only to how the three performed in MY system. Others may find different results.
Phono Amp Recommendations
I have a turntable and about 450 LPs, all in mint or near mint condition, that I have not listen too for over 15 years. While my wife has been very patient about the dust collectors, it has pretty much come to the point where I either listen to them or put them on eBay. So I thought I’d give them one more spin before I decide. However, I don’t know much about phono amps, so I would appreciate some recommendations for a good SS phono amp that handles both MM and MC cartridges (I’m not looking for a do-it-all preamp). I'm not opposed to buying a unit from the re-sell market either.