Hello everyone and thank you in advance for your advice.
I have made the decision to venture into the magical world of vinyl.
I was considering a VPI Avenger Direct (round 34K) turntable and CJ or Audio Research phono preamps.
As a cartridge I have in mind the Clearaudio Davinci.
I have been doing some research on Agon and apparently there are a lot of users who don't like VPI and considering the investment in the turntable I imagine there must be many options.
I prefer the short cut of a single investment for life.
My system is Mc C1100, mc 1.25Kw and Dynaudio Evidence Platinum speakers.
What turntable and system would you recommend, I appreciate your advice.
Making a inroad to having a Vinyl Source with a Budget of $60Kish, this is a avenue to many many options.
The Avenger Direct is a DD TT Drive Motor design, this drive is my preferred. It also as a model, has a modern aesthetic and is aligned in styling to other High Price Tag TT designs.
It will be difficult for me to suggest it is a better performing TT, than other DD TT Options I have experienced, as I am not with a experience of the Avenger Direct. All I can observe is that some of the alternative DD options will not carry the same features for the design as the one you are suggesting as a TT.
Where I stumble with such a design is the Cantilever Arm Board, it is a design I have never settled with, when seen used on very expensive TT's.
The TT is seemingly to be supplied with the Companies Tonearm, this to me seems a restriction to attain the TT>Tonearm permutation that has the most attractive presentation to the end users unique preference. Supplied as a Naked TT, there is a lot to be learned about Arms and where there is room to improve on the in-house offering.
Arms are notorious for having a controlling influence over the perception of the sound being presented. It is a little bit like a Rich > Transparent Perception, some dislike a Rich Perception, some want it to the point of overbearingly weighty. Some like a Transparent Perception and other like the most uncoloured clinical bite as their Transparency.
With the Tonearm the controlling influence of the design is perceivable. It is for an individual who is to live with the choice made, to reveal where their attraction is to, how much the impression of being constrained and restrictive, through to how much freedom and unsubdued the presentation is being perceived as. There will be a point where the end user finds the Smile that can't be removed, and the how do I pay moment comes out from nowhere.
Your Budget Allocation for a TT>Arm is extremely advantageous to be able to achieve this experience from the start off.
The Cart' can be contained within this Budget as well, if alternative Brands are being looked at as a TT>Tonearm .
There is a shortlist to be produced to extend beyond the suggestions being proposed by yourself, I am sure that with a $34K +/- ? Budget, it is not going to be limited to DD only, or only one Tonearm Option.
A single investment for life. Nice thought and I do agree that the cheapest way is to buy once. That said, if you’ve never spun vinyl before, I would go a simpler route, just to see if you really wanted to stay with it. Say, a $4k Technics direct drive with some decent cart for about $1k and maybe a nice Parasound preamp for $2k I think. Add a decent pair of cables for $500 and you’ll have a very nice rig you can play with for a year or 2 or more and probably sell quite easily if you get tired of it or want to upgrade later. That’s what I would suggest anyway. You can even go a little cheaper, but you seem to be more interested in the higher-priced range. Good luck. Just a final point, whatever you decide, I would seriously recommend buying from a local dealer who can set everything up for you and assist you with any issues that will absolutely arise along the way.
@chayro+1! That's what I would recommend! Spending $34K on a TT and more on a cartridge is a waste of money! This is where diminishing returns sets in!
1) Primary Control Kinea DD turnable and Gravity tonearm. All handmade in NL. Similar money
2) STST Motus IIDQ with Vertex or maybe Glanz tonearm. About half cost.
These both I work with, and love. Not on magazine covers but very good
Phono can depend on cart and system gain requirements. If low impedance cart ( under 5R ) than perfect for either current input phono OR SUT plus tube phono.
One point everyone seems to forget- do you have a stable place to put it? It’s very annoying to have a Tt that flies off the rails if you look at it the wrong way. I suggest placing half a glass of water in the place(s) you’re thinking of putting it and walk around the room normally. If the water shakes a lot, find another place.
I thank you all for your comments and suggestions, different points of view, all valid and very useful. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences and advice, this allows me to investigate and discern, which makes this experience fabulous. I will continue to pay attention to the following comments. @solypsaI've actually started collecting the records and it feels good! thanks for your suggestions! @pindacThanks!
@ftrotThere is a minefield to get through, you are willing to part with serious funds.
Helping you to consider some of the things worth thinking about is the intention. You are a prime candidate to be coerced into a particular way of thinking as the retail side of this business can do that really well.
A 'mark' like yourself, with a need for knowledge with such a Budget, is in a precarious place.
This years Holiday has to be paid for, an individual like yourself, could supply the readies to charted a Superyacht.
My descriptions given are to help you get on route to the Short Cut of Single Investment for life.
At present I will not recommend to you products, I will comment on products I have had direct experience with, or products I know where there is a potential to recieve a Trusted assessment as report from a user experience.
I am quite familiar with a Glanz MH 1200s used on a Direct Drive TT with a Miyajima Cart. The Arm certainly is not a device that creates a perception of being constrained in any way, it has a notable freedom and breathes life into the replays, it is in keeping with the Arm presentation I am interested in and is quite seaprated in it performance to arms I choose not to use any longer.
As an Ortofon Cart user on DD TT's, this Set Up wiith a Miyajima Cart' has a noticeable Body and a Strong Hint of Richness to my sensitivities, certainly not overbearing to my taste and certainly one that is an extremely attractive encounter.
Another with a want for a Richness in a presentation, might see this Cart' with having a leaner presentation. 'Richness is in the ear of the Beholder' each has their own threshold for what is bearable before it becomes unattractive.
@mulvelinghas proved to be good source to learn about how a Cart' . Their Broad Experience of Cart's in use, has enabled the sharing of Cart' models that can be identified with for the levels of Richness that can be detected.
Additionally VAS NY Inc has a Facebook Page where there are Needle Drops presented in a video of the completed work they have done to Cartridges. Even though not ideal as a Audiophile Listen, there is enough on offer to determine where Richness is present or not as a result of a design for a Cart'.
The STST Motus IIDQ has been referred to on another Thread and I have recently learned an individual based in Mainland Europe, who has possibly the most experience with Vinyl Replay Devices that I know off . This individual has been using a IIDQ since November 2022.
I am watching out for their updated reports on this TT's usage. Usually there is a period of use where a range of Arms and Cart's will be used along with the TT, it is then when there is great value to the assessments being made known.
Whilst accumulating LP's if some are being sourced as used items, there are services supplying Used Vinyl that has been cleaned ultrasonically, in some cases in a Cleaning Machine that has a Multi $0000's purchase price. Having the best purified vinyl from the off set will bring a further satisfaction to a very good recorded used Album.
there is no way (OK, 1 in a 10,000) you will buy your first turntable for 30+K and get the best value. You need to train your ear, learn what you like, experiment with different types and approaches.
I would start with a used Pro-Ject or Rega, different carts and figure out what you are missing, where improvements could take you
I’m happy with my lesser VPI turntable and cartridge, but if I were to upgrade a component it would be the Fatboy arm. I would probably go with a Triplanar arm.
@grislybutterI am on board with your observation, hence I have attempted to reinforce the OP's inquisitiveness about the broader range of options available to them.
Learning where the Presentation from a Vinyl Source and Supporting Ancillaries is in relation to producing a Sound is off great importance. The uphill trudge is the discovering the Sound that is extremely satisfying to ones unique preference. For an inexperienced user of a Vinyl Source, and having the Budget available as discussed, a decent amount of footwork and gathering experiences with assist with homing on a Goal.
I do not see it being achieved through descriptions offered on a Forum, but a description will arm an individual with a info' that might become identifiable when having a first hand of experiencing the device being described.
@vonhelmholtzWould it be possible to supply to the OP/ Thread a description of how the Fatboy Tonearm performs and what is the stimulus to feel an exchange arm would be a better device for your purposes.
Juan of @blisshifiput together my analog after I made some false starts. He even made suggestions regarding gear that he didn’t sell. Anyway the MSL Signature Platinum and Audionet phono preamp transformed my system. It has the musicality of a tube preamp, but the detail and speed of solid state. He had suggested the Triplanar and if I had deeper pockets I would have done the upgrade. The MSL cartridge is highly resolving and I believe that the arm reinforced this characteristic…I’m hoping that Juan can reply. Currently, I’m quite happy with my system.
@vonhelmholtzI have my radar out to get an audition of a MSL Gold or Platinum, with design and Parts used to build the Platinum having the most appeal.
It does seem this will most likely be achieved through a HiFi show, so the Demo' environment will be carefully assessed to work out how the Sound is being effected.
Your description is food for thought for anybody expressing an interest in a acquisition with a sizeable budget, the Phon' > Cart' coming in at close $20K, with a Phon' Upgrade Power Supply as an option as well.
Your choices for supporting ancillaries, when combined with a Modern Alternative Model of a DD TT >Tonearm can still be achieved as a complete set up for the OP's proposed budget for the DD TT > Tonearm only.
right.... we come here for three reasons with questions:
we are clueless, we need help
we know what we want but we want confirmation
we want to argue and prove our point, show off what we have or what we know
this post is not not in any of these categories. If someone told me I HAD TO spend 30K on a TT, I would ask: can you give me 90K for the room, the rest of the gear and another 30K for the LPs and a year to put together the ones with synergy? Without these, a 30K TT will sound as good as (insert very low $ number here) turntable
Thank you, @vonhelmholtzfor your comments and for bringing this thread to my attention.
@ftrot, your system is made of incredible components and is worthy of the investment you are willing to make for a vinyl rig. I don't come across many who pair Mc with Dyn, and I bet that results in fantastic synergy.
There have been a lot of great contributions to this thread already. When looking at the whole package, I would definitely think about the stability and drive of the table and plinth, the performance of the tonearm, and a great cartridge to pair with it given the tonearm's effective mass. Then, based on cartridge selection and the main system preamp, I would find the best phono stage to match. In my earlier days, I would typically look into cartridges first, but the performance of the cartridge is more vastly affected by the rest of the turntable. Also as cartridges can come and go, it's important to think about the turntable and tonearm as being the foundation that is there to stay.
I personally run a Clearaudio Innovation Wood, whose motor is powered by the $3500 optional Clearaudio Smart Power 24V DC power supply, which basically makes the motor run on battery power free of ripples in current while offering a bit more confidence in a way a direct drive table might, and I use the Tri-Planar U12 tonearm, which is one of the best and most innovative tonearms made today. Cartridge is the My Sonic Lab Signature Gold (one step below @vonhelmholtz, which I'm a bit jealous about) paired with a Simaudio Moon 810LP (hoping to score the optional 820S power supply down the road).
If I had the chance to set up a second rig, or perhaps sell part of mine and work with the budget you have, I would likely want to sell off the Clearaudio Innovation Wood and try for a Technics SP-10R, which is the most recent release of theirs from their long standing SP-10 direct drive line. This has been a proven design that only has gotten better over the years, and while the previous generations are still well coveted, the SP-10R breaks new grounds with stability and performance. I would then look into pairing this unit with one of the artisan plinths available, like those from Artisan Fidelity (high qualitiy wood) or OMA (cast iron).
For the tonearm, I would recommend nothing but the Tri-Planar U12 or U2SE. Tri Mai's advancement on Herb Papier's designs are nothing short of astonishing. Upgrading my arm to that one resulted in a more significant improvement in sound over upgrading my cartridge by thousands of dollars. The performance gains due to improved resonance control and less friction resulted in clarity, dynamics and effortless I'd never prior heard in my system, and this is coming from multiple types of VPI tonearms in the past. Full disclaimer, I am now an authorized Tri-Planar dealer, mostly because I was simply floored in its performance. The one I own now was not purchased in a dealer capacity.
Once you select a tonearm and cartridge to pair, you can start thinking about phono stages. Some will be typical gain stages, or, depending on the selected cartridge, you may opt for transimpedance / current mode phono stages. A few folks in this community turned me onto them when I started the thread "Solid State Phono Stages" early last year. Of course, I wholeheartedly recommend a tonearm that can be wired in true balanced configuration into the phono stage and have a phono stage that is truly balanced in input and output to preamp. That limits some choices, but inherently may make some decisions easier on you. Going this route not only will reduce noice, but enables for longer runs one day should you decide to better isolate your vinyl rig away from the rest of your rack or room.
The phono stages you mention (CJ or ARC) are somewhat apples to oranges in tonality. Given you are running an all Mc stack, which tends to run on the warm side, the Dyns likely do a good job of delivering honesty. I would likely recommend a phono stage that is quite neutral and revealing to maintain integrity, and you can then have options in your cartridge selections on whether you want more warmth, bloom, detail, etc.
I'm always happy to chat and provide guidance along the way, no purchase necessary. Feel free to message me if you're inclined.
Thank you all again and thank you Juan for your disinterested offer, I really appreciate it, I have a lot of research to do thanks to all your contributions, which makes this trip really fascinating. @blisshifi I accept your offer Juan as soon as I do the research homework I will be in touch for your advice. Thank you.
@ftrot, several issues. The Clearaudio Davinci is a great cartridge but not a good idea for a first timer. That cantilever hanging out in the breeze is a disaster waiting to happen. There are several great cartridges that have less exposed cantilevers by Ortofon, My Sonic Lab, Air Tight, Koetsu, Soundsmith and Grado.
If you are going to spend that kind of money on a turntable I suggest you look at Basis, SME, or Avid. The most important parts of the record playing device are the tonearm and cartridge. The most important attributes a turntable can have are an isolating suspension and vacuum clamping. The Basis meets these requirements. All top of the line turntables have decent drives and bearings now. SME and Avid use reflex clamping which is second best.
So you have some background in turntable and tonearm design watch this, The only mistake made is his opinion of anti skating
I would say, there are probably two schools of thought. Start low and move up. Or start high and stay there. In college I had the VPI Scoutmaster, it was a messy ordeal. I never was able to get good sound out of it. I sold it before I graduated and didn’t think about vinyl for years.
Then I thought about going back into it but I didn’t want the same experience. So I consulted with my audiophile friends and I decided, go all in. Bought the Avenger Ref (this was a couple years before the DD Avenger came out)… and never looked back. Moved from Rogue Ares to Zesto Andros and now Arc Ref 10 phono. The analog side is without lack.
You can have a very nice analog set up for much less than that and have plenty left over to start a massive lp collection.
I’d say get yourself an Avid ingenium, a Music Hall mmf 7.3 or 9.3, a technics gr or g, a linn lp12 Magik, a new thorens td 1601 or td 124 dd, etc....listed pretty much in order of cost....for the phono preamp get a pro ject tube box ds2, a new ifi phono3, a tavish design classic or vintage, an Ear 834p, a tavish design Adagio,...cartridges would include the shure m97xe, ortofon 2m Bronze or black, the Hana el, the ortofon quintet blue or Bronze, a shelter 501, etc...just to name a few...grab yourself some nice Atlas phono cables or maybe cardas...any combo of all the above would not even come close to 60k and yet would all sound spectacular.
I personally own the music hall mmf 7.3 with ortofon 2m Bronze, the Avid ingenium plug & play, the thorens td 240-2 fully automatic with ortofon om10, and the technics mk7 with shure m97xe....all sound great. My phono preamp are the tavish design classic with nos tubes (rca, Sylvania and GE). I also use a Graham slee Era Gold v, and a musical fidelity lx lps...all great phono stages. For SUT’s I have both the Rothwell and the Jensen for my moving coil which include both the Hana el and ortofon quintet blue. Invest in a good turntable wall shelf and record cleaning machine such as the record Dr V. Also buy a good 10x eye loupe, a stylus brush, and good anti static record sleeves from sleeve city.
My next purchase will be the thorens td 1500, $2999, but can be had below 2k if you buy over seas...it's received great reviews all over and is the revived thorens td 150 of yesteryear. Comes with ortofon 2m bronze....it's a steal.
You have an amazing core system right now, and I'd love to be in your position as you go on your vinyl journey. You have gotten some great advice from Members who are much more knowledgeable than myself -- all I can add is the recommendation to soak up their words of wisdom like a sponge. Please keep us updated, or send me a message once you have put together your vinyl system. I'd love to see pictures of your layout once it is set up.
I like your "go big or go home" approach, but I do agree with @jasonbourne52 regarding spending such a large amount of money from the get-go on your first vinyl system. There are SO many mistakes that can be made when trying to put together an "end all" high end vinyl system (synergy between components, the detail of sound, vibration or noise issues, and simply the ease of use), unless you have the ability to truly have a "no obligations" trail test period in your home with the gear you choose, you could end up taking a sizable loss when you go to replace items because the sound just isn't right.
I might add these brands as some tables you may want to also consider: the Dr. Feickert Firebird / Deluxe 12 Package with the Tri-Planar U12 Tonearm; the AMG Viella 12; the TW-Acustic Raven; and finally, the Rega P10.
The money pit of all money pits is high-end analog turntable playback, an outdated tech with zero chance of true sonic innovation versus digital sources which are only getting started on their innovation curves.
My $30K digital source chain ALREADY sounds almost as good as any of my previous analog setups - even streaming is QUICKLY gaining sonic ground on the local high rez pcm or dsd files on my NAS.
Having a modest turntable makes sense if you have some LPs, but you should really allocate the bulk of your money for spending big on the FUTURE of hifi playback rather than its past.
For that money, check out the Bergmann turntables. Modi or Galder models. They perform superbly. Several options for cartridges. Their linear tracking arms are excellent. Make sure you get a good tube phono preamp. The combination of a Bergmann and good phono preamp will result in a lifetime of beautiful listening. You’ll be amazed how good new and old vinyl can sound.
Blah blah blah blah. +1 on spending $5K, listening for a year or so (while acquiring vinyl), then see where you want to go from there. Doesn't sound like you have any audiophile friends you want to impress, or you would've turned to them first for advice.
The OP is not a New Driver, still in their Teen Years, wanting to spend 20K+ on their first owned vehicle.
Advice will always be to get a bit of experience under the belt with a Fender Bender/ Older Vehicle.
The OP has obviously found a place where spending a substantial monies is a option, and is not wanting to have a continued experience of Building the Vinyl Source and Ancillaries, there is enough in the kitty to achieve their end game set up between $5K - $65K, where the spend starts and cuts off is the OP's choice, they are adult and know what they would like to achieve.
Gathering a Broader Knowledge before a Spend is no bad thing, and this is seemingly where the OP has placed themselves.
@fatdaddy2 Yes I have audiophile friends and I have certainly gone to them for advice, I have no need to impress anyone I am just looking for the best system the budget that I have determined can buy. I am convinced that fools learn from their mistakes and wise men learn from experience, (that doesn't mean I won't make mistakes, I just want to minimize the possibility) in that sense the more experience I can learn from others the better, I believe this is one of the main objectives of this forum and I appreciate the time and selflessness of the participants in contributing selflessly in my personal project. @pindacYou got it right.
A thing to keep in mind w/ turntables & most hifi equipment, there are good & not do good examples of just about every design & school of thought. Direct drive, belt drive, massive platters, suspended plinths,etc. There’s lots of opinions on all of this ad Infinitum.
If you want a really good turntable / arm combo that in my experience is trouble free & essentially set & forget, try a model from Basis. Handmade in NH for many years, sound excellent w/ rock solid, high precision build quality. Find a dealer, go listen hopefully w/ at least the speakers you have ( & hopefully similar amps too) & choose a cartridge that sounds good to you, no need to speed a fortune on it, maybe the Hana Umami Red or something similarly priced (around $4K) w/ a good phono amp probably about that price. Any dealer that’s sells Basis should also carry quality ancillary stuff. Have them set it up ( tricky for the inexperienced bit Basis offers very clear, step by step videos to do so).
I’ve owned my Basis 2500 / Vector 4 arm for over 20 years w/ 0 trouble & still sounds excellent! Replaced 1 belt & 2 cartridges. Todays models seem like they’re a little better in many ways but essentially the same. I would suggest getting a dust cover ( a plexiglass box that fits over it & removed when using) to keep unwanted things from touching the unit( dust, kids, cats whatever) if that’s an issue.
@ftrot: I haven't read through this entire thread but thought of these two cents. Firstly: for the kind of dough you intend to spend I would strongly encourage consultation with competent, trustworthy experts regarding system synergy. Secondly: Again, I strongly recommend that you schedule and orchestrate serious auditions of whatever components hit your radar screen. Given the budget you have in mind, I assume long distance travel would not be out of the question. Thirdly: I'm also assuming you are aware of all of the necessary accoutrements that go part & parcel with a good vinyl set-up (e.g. stylus cleaner(s); record weights or clamps; record brushes of air puffers; anti-static poly sleeves; etc.). Lastly (and probably most importantly): a good record cleaner or cleaning system is a must IMHO. Even new records should be cleaned. Again IMHO, an ultrasonic cleaner or cleaning system is the way to go. If you want convenience, in this regard. consider the Degritter.
@allenf1963+1. I might add these brands as some tables you may want to also consider: the Dr. Feickert Firebird / Deluxe 12 Package with the Tri-Planar U12 Tonearm; the AMG Viella 12; the TW-Acustic Raven; and finally, the Rega P10.
I like your choices of tables
Dear @ftrot : Why 34K for a TT' makes no sense to me when there are a way lower price units that could outperforms your thread choice or choices coming from other gentelmans.
My take is to put money accpording what the market best offers you on each audio item.
I know that the Agoners that know me could be " tired " with my TT option that in this thread was named only one time.
M.Fremer reviewed the SAT DD XD-1 turntable with SAT tonearm where the whole package set you back almost 300K and cartridges where the Lyra Atlas Lambda SL and Ortofon Century and he posted there:
" The XD1 shares some sonic characteristics with Rega's revolutionary RP 10 turntable: ultrafast, clean transients throughout the audible frequency range; tight, fast bass; revealing midrange transparency; and overall sonic stability and focus. All these characteristics result, apparently, from careful attention paid to structural rigidity and the removal or prevention of unwanted vibrational energy. "
in other reviews the Rega had mounted that Lyra too. Well including own excellent Rega tonearm ( not 12" tonearm that's a " myth " an error to own it. ) you pay less than 6K. You have in the Rega package two excellent audio items: TT and tonearm for the same price.
Cj or AR phonopreamps?, please don't waist your money. Remember your thread premise:
" I prefer the short cut of a single investment for life. "
You can go for one of this options: SimsAudio, Channel D , DSA or the phonolinepreamp Dartzeel ( phono and line preamp in one unit for 40K ). No tube phono stage can " touch " or stays " near " of those SS units and for very good reasons.
You need invest for the best you can in the phonolinepreamp because this unit is the one that must handled the cartridge critical and sensitive recorded signal and the unit not only has to amplify that extremely low output signal but has to do it with extremely low noise and low developed distortions. Additional to that in the phono stage the cartridge signal must pass through a heavy equalization with the inverse RIAA eq.curve that " manipulates " the cartridge signal from around -20db to +20db, this is a 40db swing ! ! ! and that RIAA eq. implementation must be designed with a frequency response deviation inside no more than 0.1db. This figure is critical.
Cartridge? I agree with @mijostyn and My Sonic Lab , Ortofon and I could add low output Colibri by VDH ( no more than 0.35mv output level. ), yes could be other options.
So many you can choose from that price range , be sure you want stay longer in that game. Go check dealer and talk to them ,sure they will want to help and make business with you even can bring to you to Audition it . VPI ,Basis ,Kuzma at my fav.
Either DD ,belt or even idler vintage is your choice. Good luck at your journey
Thanks, man. I've found one can put together an end-game vinyl system without spending the kind of money you would spend on an automobile. I really like the Rega P8 and P10 -- insanely good turntables.
@ftrot : If you want another excellent " price no object " audio item as the RP-10 then you can look for the PS Audio Stellar phono stage that indeed is Stellar.
Stereophile reviewed and compared against the top Swiss CH that comes with a price tag over 70+K when the Stellar is lower than 3K and yes this one is " price no object ". Read it the review and please read to the measurements that several audiophiles diminish always:
I think at times @ftrotmany contributors to posts are not appreciative that questions are posed by people who are high net worth individuals who do not have the time to through a lengthy process of going up through various turntables over the years to find out (fun though it is for a less flush guy like me)
I can see your heart appears set, but apply the same budget on very strict terms and see what else is available and factor in the price of a good record cleaning machine (your cartridge would thank you for it - mine do)
At your price point you are getting into some seriously juicy turntables both new and second hand (don't dismiss it because ultra expensive audio takes the biggest price drop and they are never trashed from what I have seen).
Can I just say there are some other great decks at ur price:
Dohmann Helix 2
SME model 30 and the SME Anniversary (it may come with a Nagra phono stage but don’t quote me on that)
Technics Sl1000R - direct drive - remember they were one of the first DD designers and I recall the original VPI designer Harry Weisfield saying that to reproduce such a motor with the requisite tooling would cost about $30k
@thoftI understand and appreciate your position on buying good quality equipment the first time around. This approach will likely save you money and definitely save you time. Some people enjoy the audio journey and others just want to get to their destination system. How each one of us gets there is as unique as the system we end up with. No right or wrong way. Doing research is a smart way forward and good first step either way.
Being in the audio business for over a couple of decades, we have been fortunate to sample lots of equipment, some great and some not so much.
The VPI Avenger Direct is an excellent TT and a great choice if you decide to buy one. High quality DD turntables provide a strong stable foundation for the rest of your future analog setup. The Avenger Direct is very well made and will provide you that stable foundation for many years. I am not affiliated with VPI in any way.
I suggest looking into something a bit different for a cartridge/phono preamp combo. The DS Audio Optical cartridge system and the Sound-smith Strain Gauge system. Both are excellent and top performers. Besides their great SQ they offer another benefit that you might appreciate, they both have their own electronics with line level outputs. The electronics are designed specifically for their cartridges. No need to worry about cartridge phono-preamp compatibility. We find that it takes a considerably larger investment to equal these system in performance with cartridge/phono-preamp combos.
Again I want to thank you for all your comments, they have enriched me tremendously. I am taking my time before moving my chips, I will certainly tell you and share with you my decisions and the system acquired.
@ftrotPlease let us know how any demonstrations received from a Particular Permutation of TT>Tonearm>Cart', especially how the presentation from the Vinyl System was perceived, and whether it was a attraction or detraction to your unique preference.
A Few Demo's of the few different Set Ups may help steer you toward, the presentation you prefer. A design of a Phonostage will also be a critical factor in the experiencing of a replay that is to be assessed as extremely satisfying to yourself and wanted to be maintained to such a standard.
The Discovering the Devices that create the most attractive presentation for you, may be a little more of a future find, but will be well worth the extended period of search when the most attractive experiences for yourself are discovered.
I would caution that while I would agree largely with @rauliruegaswith both his recommendations on Simaudio and the PS Audio Stellar Phono, the performance is relative to their price points. The Stellar Phono is one of the best solid state phono stages at its price point, but in my experience a number of phono stages in the $3K+ range easily bested it. For a solid state phono, I found it neither to be the quietest nor the most exciting, but it was still very good. In my experience, the Simaudio 610LP or even better, the 810LP, are leagues above in performance, albeit at exponentially higher price points.
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