Phono Stage - The great analog tragedy

@noromance in the list you have suggested, only the Aesthetix IO can be considered to be in the company of a high end analog setup. That one was designed towards the resurgence of vinyls in 1995. I am talking about the golden era of audio which ended in the mid 80s, during which all the best of the analog innovation happened. We got the best direct drives, idler drives and belt drives which are still today the reference by which current TTs are measured. We got some serious MM carts and top quality MCs like the TSD15, SPU, Neumann DST and such. Where were the equivalent phonostages? Not one of that calibre was designed. Full function preamps with a small phono section was all we got. Hardly any standalone phono stages. We have no reference from that era against which today’s phonostages can be measured. 
 

@newton_john i didn’t mean to pit the importance of phonostage against bearing, Tonearm or cartridge. All I am saying is the standard of the TTs and cartridges were so much higher than the phonostages they made in that era. It was almost a neglected child which was there for the sake of completion. No serious effort was made to make top quality phonostages to match the remaining analog innovations. 

The 'imperial we" again raises its ugly head in the service of creating unneeded controversy.  Where's the benefit?

The TT > Tonearm are a Mechanical Interface, which to be the best interface achievable has to be optimised in their shared role of supplying the Stylus the very best interface when being in contact with the Modulation in the LP Groove.

The Tonearm in isolation is a Tool of Support Only, it serves to supply a method to place a Cartridge at a setting for a particular Geometry and enable the Cartridge to trace the Groove uninfluenced by the Tonearm, where the Cartridge is enables to be producing an unadulterated facsimile of the Grooves Stored Data.

The TT in Isolation, is a Tool to support the Hard Media that is containing the Stored Data to be extracted by the Cartridge Stylus from the Groove Modulation. The TT when functioning, has the role to ensure the mechanical parts are sufficiently supported in a rigid structure, the Spindle Bearing is a True Axis during the Spindles Rotation, the Platter rotates with no run-out, the Speed of the Hard Medias rotation is accurate.

Manufacturers of either of the above devices will have been mindful of the need to have a specific function and the need to consider tightness of dimension  tolerances to be maintained for the overall assembly of the devices to be used.

Being mindful of dimension tolerances does not equate to a design being absolutely optimised for its own function or the function in conjunction with another device. 

Slop between moving parts at interfaces in a assembly can be found in devices produced by the most renowned Brand Names from the OP's references to era of production.

At later periods of production when the knowledge was at the mainstream about the value of maintaining very tight tolerances, Long Term established Brands were seemingly slow in the uptake and not able to make the important choices to improve the quality of interfaces for moving parts.

Newly Established Brands proved to be the ones to address issues of variances of dimensions for tolerances and create designs using different materials and designs that proved to be advanced as a offered product to the Olden Designs still on offer and being used. Established Brands were forced through loss of marketing opportunities to conform to the latest designs from the new brands that were being presented to the market. 

Function of Tonearm and Function of a TT took on a new meaning when CD kicked the Vinyl Medium of the Top Spot in being a marketable commodity.

Manufacturers of Analogue related products prior to adopting their supplying CD Sources, did do quite a bit to produce items to be used for Vinyl Replays to be substantially improved over their earlier guises of offerings.  

  In my own experiences and within my budget, the most advanced work being achieved that I am familiar with, is offered by individuals with adept skills for improving a Tonearm or TT's Mechanical Function and Speed Function as their own bespoke designs, especially where alternate and more fitting for their purpose materials are introduced, along with the advances in material selection enabling the Machined Tolerance Dimension for interfaces for moving parts to be substantial reduced.

Add to the above the added research put into improving the material used for sending the electric signal from the Cartridge and the whole becomes something unimaginable for the improvements being created. 

The only outboard phono amps I remember from the 70’s and 80’s were MC “step up” transformers. I also found some mainstream equipment with above average phono stages. NAD 3020 (when it worked), Sansui AU 717, Pioneer Spec 1 preamp.