I thought that both the HP-100 and HP-200 had decent phono sections. I would look to trying different tubes in the unit as a first step upgrade. Like all modern production units with tubes, the manufacturer must utilize readily available current production tubes. These are FAR from sounding as good as older tubes.
A friend substituted some Amperex bugle boy 12AX7s in his HP-200 and it sounded MUCH better than running with stock tubes.
A friend substituted some Amperex bugle boy 12AX7s in his HP-200 and it sounded MUCH better than running with stock tubes.