Yes, I also took the plunge and bought an OC9-3, after asking about it above. I then bought a Threshold Fet-10e phono preamp. (about $700 delivered, EBay) The combination of the two is jaw dropping. I’ve never heard any of my vinyl sound this good. I think the proper MC transformer will do away with the extra back ground noise, which IS a little bit audible, and give me an early entrance in to audio heaven.
What kind of step-up are you using? I’m very interested to know that. Choosing the right one without being able to audition them can get complicated. There are varying opinions on whether they should be resistance loaded etc. Right now, I am looking at the Rothwell MCL.