Allocation of analog resources

I was at this stage about 6 months ago. I had a system that was nice, but wasn't at the level I really wanted. I had been saving up for the last few years to purchase some components that would be a substantial jump in performance over what I was using. I had a basic UTurn turntable ($300) with an Ortofon Blue MM cartridge and their phono stage. It was really nice no-frills turntable that had moments of good clarity, but was never going to equal a higher end model. I was running it through a Yamaha integrate amp.

I decided to make a substantial jump in build quality and flexibility (ability to change tonearm in the future). I purchased a Dr. Feickert Volare turntable ($2900) after lots of research. I mated that with an Origin Live Onyx tonearm and a Hana SL MC cartridge. That is a big jump in cost compared to what I was using. I also replaced the Yamaha with a McIntosh c2700 preamp with a built in phonostage (I love the sound of tubes). This was a huge expense, but the sound improvement was absolutely stunning. My old system sounded like a wax cylinder recording in comparison. 

I don't suggest that anyone make that level of investment jump. This was a risky move to go from a sub $1000 turntable/tonearm/cartridge/phonostage/amp to components that are 10 times that in cost. I am lucky in having a family that actually talked me into spending that money. My wife now loves listening to albums (it was hit and miss before) because she says it now is closer to a live performance. 

@ghdprentice 

I adamantly disagree with this statement. I do understand that when you do a purchase like this it feels like a huge risk. But in reality it is not. Moving up in cost by 10x… unless you do something terribly wrong is a virtual guarantee of a jaw dropping, wonderful improvement in sound. This is the quickest and surest way to awesome sound. You cannot do it blindly… but this big of jump covers minor errors.

This is an excellent point. I should have framed my comment that I saw as risky because I had never made this significant of a jump in cost before. I would have felt so guilty spending the money if I made a wrong decision and it sounded the same. However, it did work out well beyond what I expected. 

Thanks!