Yeah definitely - phono stage is a crucial to performance and its perfect matching to your cartridge is paramount. It’s wise to explore this area now, with the rest of your source riding at such a high level.
The VTPH-2A is an excellent option. Unlike other owners of this stage, I find you CAN do better for more money (I like my VAC better), but it should clobber your current phono card, and it’s unlikely you’ll find better without spending more.
One fun thing you could do to potentially greatly improve your sound without spending a lot of money - invest in a good SUT and run that into your present phono card in MM mode. I prefer a good SUT to the VTPH-2A’s MC input stage (JFET) for cartridges below 0.5mV output. The Cadenza Black should be well matched to any 30x SUT, of which there are some excellent choices in the 1.2-2.2K range. E.g. EAR MC-4 (or older MC-3), Bob’s Devices Sky 30 (not quite as good as the EAR but cheaper). Ortofon offers a couple of their own (the Verto model uses Lundahls). You could also have a premium Lundahl SUT built by K&K, and for a better price than the the Ortofon. The Hashimoto HM-3 and HM-7 are also well liked.
If the SUT route works then you can upgrade to an outboard phono stage, and focus only on its MM capabilities (you would bypass its MC stage with your favorite SUT).
I have a Cadenza Bronze as a backup cartridge, and it pairs quite well with the Bob’s Devices Sky. The Black, being lower output, should benefit even more from a SUT.
The VTPH-2A is an excellent option. Unlike other owners of this stage, I find you CAN do better for more money (I like my VAC better), but it should clobber your current phono card, and it’s unlikely you’ll find better without spending more.
One fun thing you could do to potentially greatly improve your sound without spending a lot of money - invest in a good SUT and run that into your present phono card in MM mode. I prefer a good SUT to the VTPH-2A’s MC input stage (JFET) for cartridges below 0.5mV output. The Cadenza Black should be well matched to any 30x SUT, of which there are some excellent choices in the 1.2-2.2K range. E.g. EAR MC-4 (or older MC-3), Bob’s Devices Sky 30 (not quite as good as the EAR but cheaper). Ortofon offers a couple of their own (the Verto model uses Lundahls). You could also have a premium Lundahl SUT built by K&K, and for a better price than the the Ortofon. The Hashimoto HM-3 and HM-7 are also well liked.
If the SUT route works then you can upgrade to an outboard phono stage, and focus only on its MM capabilities (you would bypass its MC stage with your favorite SUT).
I have a Cadenza Bronze as a backup cartridge, and it pairs quite well with the Bob’s Devices Sky. The Black, being lower output, should benefit even more from a SUT.