You can find tube phono stage amps for under $750. For example, I use a Pro-Ject 12AX7 phono stage and really like it. The thing is, it is really designed to be used to provide a signal to a preamp that doesn't already have phono stage inputs. It would probably drive headphones, but wasn't designed for that.You might be happier with something like the Bellari VP-530
, which has a headphone output and volume control built-in. You can also connect it to a preamp or receiver, or even to your computer USB port. That's handy for making archival copies of vinyl albums on CD.
![](http://www.audioroundtable.com/images/Bellari_VP530.jpg)
![](http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=audioroundtab-20&l=ur2&o=1)