Bang for the Buck

Right on @asvjerry . As I discovered, after spending too much on inferior products.

Tonearm is more important than cartridge. I use Trans-Fi Terminator air bearing tonearms, which I consider the best deal in high end ($1000), competing with any tonearm costing less than a new car.

Ah - Quads. Me too.

With ESL’s one can hear subtle differences. I can hear bearing noise from the platter and the motor (yup, the motor), so I try to minimize both. Nottingham Analogue has done splendid work here - my Mentor with a Trans-Fi Terminator is close to my DIY air bearing TT, and that’s saying quite a lot. If you can stretch to (and find!) a used NA Dais (the updated Mentor), I doubt that you would ever want to change.

I stuck with the Mentor faithfully for 15 years before I tried the DIY route, with never a yearning for anything that cost less than a new Porsche.

The only caveat is that my TT bench rests on concrete on bedrock, far from industry, highway, or railway, so I don't need suspension. Your situation may be different.