From my experience, when talking about the quality of analog setup your interested in, versatility (gain and resistive loading adjustments) should be a key consideration in your phono section. At some point, you will end up replacing the original cartridge you buy due to wear, something you don't due with the rest of your system. Versatility protects against limiting your replacements.
Typically, a moving coil cartridge can be assumed with the equipment you mention. MC cartridge outputs may range from 100uV to 1mV or so. Phono sections with gains in the 50 db range will not be sufficient for cartridges with a few hundred microvolts of output.
Resistive cartridge loading for MCs can vary from less than 10 ohms to 47k ohms. The usual process for adjusting loading is starting at 10 times the resistance of the cartridge and go lower from there. Most moving coil resistances I believe are less than 10 ohms. Benz Micro throws a wrinkle into this with their Ruby cartridges which are 50 ohms or more. The more steps in these ranges, the better chance of fine tuning the cartridge to the phono section.
It is amazing how many phono sections are limited in their ability to adjust throughout these ranges, even in the several thousand dollar range. This is one of the reasons I chose the Pass Xono (~$2500 used).
I have no experience with step-up transformers and their ability to address these issues. I recommend talking to a good YBA dealer and asking how well their preamp and transformer can accomodate these demands. Listening to a YBA analog setup would be ideal, but not always possible in todays analog limited dealer demos. If it is flexible enough, the sound is what matters, trust your ears.
I wouldn't concern myself with adding additional cables. A good phono section in the price range you mention will more than make up for any signal degradation. I also agree with Jeffloistarca, that you can then tailor the sound with cables.
I have solid state phono, pre & amp. I intend to add tubes by replacing the preamp. I like the sound they have with my equipment. I believe this is the most sensible place to add tubes if you are looking for that sound. If you add it to the phono, remember, it's more difficult and expensive to build a quiet, high gain tube phono section.
You didn't ask, but when it comes to cartridges, re-tipping fees can be expensive. The price varies considerably between manufacturers. You can splurge once and pay a modest re-tipping fee when it wears out, or buy a new cartridge every time. What they do during a re-tip may vary also. Some may give you a new cartridge when you return your old one, others may only rebuild parts.
Relax and have a homebrew!
Typically, a moving coil cartridge can be assumed with the equipment you mention. MC cartridge outputs may range from 100uV to 1mV or so. Phono sections with gains in the 50 db range will not be sufficient for cartridges with a few hundred microvolts of output.
Resistive cartridge loading for MCs can vary from less than 10 ohms to 47k ohms. The usual process for adjusting loading is starting at 10 times the resistance of the cartridge and go lower from there. Most moving coil resistances I believe are less than 10 ohms. Benz Micro throws a wrinkle into this with their Ruby cartridges which are 50 ohms or more. The more steps in these ranges, the better chance of fine tuning the cartridge to the phono section.
It is amazing how many phono sections are limited in their ability to adjust throughout these ranges, even in the several thousand dollar range. This is one of the reasons I chose the Pass Xono (~$2500 used).
I have no experience with step-up transformers and their ability to address these issues. I recommend talking to a good YBA dealer and asking how well their preamp and transformer can accomodate these demands. Listening to a YBA analog setup would be ideal, but not always possible in todays analog limited dealer demos. If it is flexible enough, the sound is what matters, trust your ears.
I wouldn't concern myself with adding additional cables. A good phono section in the price range you mention will more than make up for any signal degradation. I also agree with Jeffloistarca, that you can then tailor the sound with cables.
I have solid state phono, pre & amp. I intend to add tubes by replacing the preamp. I like the sound they have with my equipment. I believe this is the most sensible place to add tubes if you are looking for that sound. If you add it to the phono, remember, it's more difficult and expensive to build a quiet, high gain tube phono section.
You didn't ask, but when it comes to cartridges, re-tipping fees can be expensive. The price varies considerably between manufacturers. You can splurge once and pay a modest re-tipping fee when it wears out, or buy a new cartridge every time. What they do during a re-tip may vary also. Some may give you a new cartridge when you return your old one, others may only rebuild parts.
Relax and have a homebrew!