$ 2500 -- Best Way to Spend It Today ?

Yes, the Technics SL12x0 series could make a good platform, as it's quiet, precisely and ruggedly built, and spins the platter very accurately.

Les_creative_edge's suggestions are good, but are even more affordable than the prices he mentions. If you buy from KAB USA, the SL1200 is $475; fluid damper is $150 and tonearm rewire is $169. That's about $784. The Denon DL-160 is $180 and the Sumiko headshell can be had for $40, so that's $40 less as well. And the Cambridge 640P is only $169 and I agree with him that it's a great phono front end at the price (and then some).

That's the rig I have and I really like it. I had to upgrade my speakers to get a better handle on how much the AT150MLX and 640P increased the resolution and frequency extension.

Another way to go is to start with an SL1210 M5G so you don't need the tonearm rewire. You can also save money by getting brass cones from Parts Express for about $25, and a cutting board for $25-50 instead of a Mapleshade $150-250 maple plank.

All these approaches compromise the performance very little if at all, and save quite a bit of money.

I would say, however, that if you get an SL12x0 with fluid damper, tonearm rewire, and Sumiko headshell and you're going to run it into the Cambridge 640P, to spend an extra $70 and get the Audio Technica AT150MLX cartridge instead for a mere $70 more at $250, and the stylus is replaceable at $179.95, same price as replacing a DL-160. I have an SL1210 M5G with fluid damper, Sumiko headshell, and Cambridge 640P, and with this rig you will easily notice the improvement in frequency extension, detail, separation, and trackability the AT150MLX has to offer.

Another approach might be to get an SL1200 mk2 ($475), the Origin LIve Technics armboard (about $90), and an RB300-compatible tonearm. This could be anything from an unmodified OL-1 (rebadged RB250 for $240) to a fully-modded OL-1 ($800), or an Origin Live Silver ($1050). With the Silver you'd be up to about $1600. I'd still get the AT150MLX and the Cambridge 640P. That still just about leaves enough money for a VPI record cleaning machine, Or, you could get a bundle of microfiber cleaning cloths (about $10 for a bundle of 25 at Sam's Club), a quart of good record cleaning fluid, and the Walgreen's Perfection Steamer to clean used records (about $30) and spend the remaining $300-400 on LPs (yahoo!).

Yeah. Jaybo has a point. Next time I'll check the poster's system link to see what he already has. You have the glass platter upgrade, and I expect that's the Rega RB250 arm, right? With a $99 Goldring Elektra cartridge, I'd say your TT rig is plenty good to show benefits from a higher-res cartridge. Given the smile your current rig puts on your face, you probably want to stick with something similar, just better. That way you don't upset the TT-to-phono stage balance, amount of gain or required capacitance, etc.

So maybe move up to a Goldring 10x2 series cart. They're a big jump in resolution, tracking, and extension, but have about the same output as the Elektra and would make good matches with the same kinds of arms.

i recently swapped out a Denon DL-160 HOMC for a MM Audio Technica AT150MLX, and the difference in the amount of musical information it extracts is not subtle. And your downstream components are up to the task, to say the least.

So I'd say, to hear a significant improvement over your current rig, just try a Goldring 1022 or 1042, or an Audio Technica AT150MLX, or an Ortofon 2M Blue or Black. I'm sure other aficionados will chime in with their high output, med-to-high compliance carts as well.

Best of all, this is just a $200-to-600 outlay to realize a significant improvement without losing anything of what you like about your system now. And of course, if you decided to get a better analog rig later, you can migrate the cartridge.

08-11-08: Adam18
Now, without being able to audition a new pick-up, how can I best decide between a Goldring 1022/1042, AT150MLX, or Ortofon 2M ?? Also, should I include the Dynavector 10x5 on the list of contenders ?

First, decide what you like and don't like (if anything) about your Elektra. Then talk to vendors who are familiar with it and other carts you're interested in. Tell 'em you want something with similar sonic signature but more musical detail, lower surface noise, more transparency, etc.

Also, take a look at the weight, compliance, output level, and recommended capacitance loading for your Elektra, and then find a cart with similar specs to get the same kind of match with the tonearm and impedance/output/capacitance match with your phono stage.

The higher end Goldrings are probably a safe bet because they're from the same company. BY FAR, the best prices I've seen for the Goldring 10x2 series are from kabusa.com. Also, if you talk to Kevin at kabusa, he can probably help you immensely in picking the right MM cart.