After all these decades of building phono stages, I am still confused.
Why didn't turntable manufacturers build phono stages into their turntables in the same way CD player manufacturers built DACs into their transports?
I suppose one of the answers might be that most turntable manufacturers made neither arms nor cartridges. Thus, they would have had to add control settings for gain and loading.
Not a bad option to have those controls on the rear of the turntable. Would have been kind of slick.
Those of us that like turntables and the playing of vinyl records would be better served if our paths had been different.
In the end, I am thankful that never happened.
After all, PS Audio was founded on building better phono stages.