Okay, seperate post for phono-preamps. I have to admit that my experience is a bit thin here, as I've never sunk the money into high-end amplification. My experience is that speakers, turntables and cartridges give you the best bang for your buck by far (not that I wouldn't love to have some Boulder amps for my system). I have an HK amp with a decent internal phono stage and some homemade tube stuff that's a work-in-progress. However, I know enough about audio (and have auditioned enough gear) to know that it's really slim pickings these days for phono preamps. There's the NAD, which is sort of okay and certainly cheap (I recall it's under $200?). Then there's the Radio Shack model, which, believe it or not, some people swear by. I haven't heard it, and I don't really want to.

Beyond that, you have two options: spend a lot of money, or buy a kit. If you're scared of electronics, and you're not rich, the NAD is probably the way to go.

Hey - there's one more possibility for a phono stage:

www.audioreview.com/Pream...91crx.aspx

The retail is high, but you can order a kit for less. I have a friend who uses this with the Zen Triode power amp. I have to admit that I've never heard it, but he's a bigger geek than I am and he swears by it. He almost convinced me to buy their kits before I decided to just go solo for my homemade gear - I have a hard time forking over hundreds of dollars for a bag of resistors, a bag of capacitors, and a transformer that I can buy direct for a third as much. I admit that having the plans would be quite useful, but not having them makes it fun, in a sort of perverse way....