Will I benifit form a external phono stage

I agree with Twl that being able to optimize the cart loading will be of huge benefit. I recently got a Camelot Lancelot phonostage to replace the tubed internal one in my C-J PV-8 preamp. I am using the B-M Glider MO v.2, and found that it performed best at around 400 ohms (also, it benefitted from the use of a premium Vishay resistor - evidence that parts quality here is very important). When I compared the Lancelot at the same 47k as is standard in the C-J, there really wasn't a huge difference between the two, except for the absence of tube noise - which is where I now part company with Twl. I love tubes, but got fed up with trying to maintain the phono section and preamp with problem-free small signal tubes in the high-gain stages. Even with the best tubes I ever found, the SS Lancelot is much quieter, and tubes eventually wear out and you have to start hunting again. I'd rather be listening to music, so I'm auditioning an Innersound SS preamp as well, and could be relagating the tubes in my system to the amp alone (where I'm convinced, rightly or wrongly, that they make the biggest difference anyway).