Should I move on from my Hagerman Trumpet MC Phono Pre?

@fastricky I have quite an amount of experiences under my belt listening to Phonostages, out of all audio equipment the Phonostage is the one I have been most willing to travel and learn what is achievable as an End Sound.

Valve Input / Output Phon's are presenting with a Tonal Richness that can be overwhelmingly heavy, through to being almost perceivable as Transparent.

For the record, I am looking for as close to transparent as possible as the perception of the End Sound Produced. I then have my own methods to add a hint of richness of tone, if felt needed. 

Valve Hybrids are similar in their range of Tonal Richness, but I have found there is certain circuits where they do not present with a unique sonic signature as do the above, there is a much of a muchness, with a variance to the lowest frequency or upper frequency, that becomes the noticeable separator between models.

If one really wants to step aside of a discernible Tonal Richness that comes from the trait of using a Valve in a Circuit there is a hunt required to discover the Valve Phon' that can do this, which might only be a Valve Phon' with a particular Valve in use, so not the easiest to discover.

To walk away from the richness influence of the Valve, the SS option is the design to consider. 

A SS Phon' with a SUT is a way to tweak tonal richness, as is including umbilical's with D.U.C.C Wire on the Signal Path.   

The Wajima with a 0.4mv output there is easy options to match the Cart' to a configuration for a Phon.

The Cantilever being Boron should also be tidying up tonal richness, even when used in conjunction with a wood body. 

A Tenuto or AT 666 Platter Mat both can produce an End Sound that is seemingly moved away from a richness of tone being present. 

I'm suspecting you have a sensitivity to a richness of tone and when detected it becomes a detractor. I have the condition that is sensitive to weight of tonal colouration.

When listening to certain genre, the discernible tonal presence detected in an End Sound, impacts on my enjoyment of long periods of listening, I know today how to substantially diminish the perception of a tonal colouration being present when using an analogue source and the amplification for the sources sent signal .

There is also certain genre where noticeable tonal colouration is welcomed as being detected in the End Sound, but I like to be the individual who is able to decide which permutation of the Source and Amplification of the Source Signal is put into service.

There are Hundreds of SUT's of the Winding Ratio which is able to be used.

My Experiences of these are that a SUT can create an End Sound that is overbearing for the Richness of Tone it is able to produce, through to a Hint of Richness.

I have used many SUT's and heard many more and own Two Models of which are very light in how the Richness of Tone is presented.

Before going down the SUT Route, I will suggest to try a Head Amp. This is where Transparency is the Trait, I have been loaned a selection of Head Amp' designs and find their introduction a very interesting experience where Richness of Tone being detected is very unlikely unless the configuration is A/B compared to a SS Phon' , that as the comparison will be the only way to show a Richness still remains where the Valves are in use in the circuit.