Buying a new TT today


So I’m pretty hellbent on buying a new TT today! Or should I be?!?!? 
I started off kind of sour on vinyl several years back when I ignorantly bought a cheap TT that had a built in phono stage.... Talk about a disappointment! And a buzz kill for vinyl!
Anyway a year or so later I bought a Project Carbon Debut and it blew my mind!!!!  The step up in most aspects of the TT, carbon fiber tone arm/heavier plinth/much heavier platter/motor and remote position/better cartridge in a Ortofon m2red, along with the fact the it was now running through my Integrated’s Phono Stage was just such a leap in sound that I never expected, that now I’m looking for yet another leap like that again lol
Anyway, with pocket flush with cash and headed to two hi-fi shops I pause....
In my new price range, $2,000 or so, should I be looking for a new TT? Or a new cartridge for the TT I have ?
thoughts.
264win

Showing 2 responses by millercarbon

Turntable. You will recoup a lot more for your Debut Carbon than you might for your cartridge.

If the goal is to sell what you can get the most for, then maybe. I thought it was to get the most sound quality? I would hang onto the cart in order to have a virtually new cart to sell with the table. Most people at this price level are looking for a complete package. The table will be worth more as a complete package with the original cart. 
You will need to listen carefully as any potentially huge improvements on your Pro-Ject deck will be hard to find.

So, purely as a learning experience, does it really make sense to recommend upgrading a turntable, then immediately saying but it probably won't be worth it as any improvement will be hard to find?
Either one will get you another huge step up. So which one is best has less to do with how much improvement you will hear (massive either way) and more to do with your long term plans and goals.

For example, say you get a great cart like the $1500 Soundsmith Zephyr MkIII https://www.sound-smith.com/cartridges/fixed-coil/zephyr-mk-iii A great long term choice that allows affordable re-tipping. Huge improvement now and another huge improvement later if you upgrade to a better table and keep the Zephyr.

Then when you upgrade the table you can focus on the table and arm and get better. Whereas if you buy a better table now you have to accept a package with a cheap cartridge, sort of right back where you are now only at a slightly higher level. 

Either way you will hear huge improvement. I just think that with turntables you're really buying four separate components- table, arm, cart, phono stage. The sooner you can separate and start dealing with each on its own the bigger and better your long term results will be.

A new quality cartridge is just your first step down that path.