I got an outboard phono preamp 5 years ago for only about $50 and could not be happier. Remember that the signal from a phono cartridge is at a very low level, and therefore it is susceptible to picking up noticeable interference and hum. Boosting this low level signal on short cables to a preamp right next to the turntable eliminated the interference.

So even if the 978 has a phono stage I will not use it.