i agree with the advice on new vs. used cartridges but disagree on the tt choice. i've had several vpi 'tables, including the hw-19 ( model II, as i recollect) and the tnt III. IMHO, the comparably-priced basis 'tables are sonically superior to the vpi's. they have better bearings and are machined to much tighter tolerances. most importantly, the basis' are quieter, in my experience, than like-priced vpi's. like bruce, i recommend benz cartridges or, even moreso, koetsu, depending on what portion of your budget you plan to put toward the smallest component. BTW, i think that harry weisfeld is one of the true gentlemen in the audio industry. i hope that someday soon he and his wife will grace the halls of ces once again.
Help completing vinyl front end.
I have decided to take the plunge into vinyl. My current system consists of Sonic Frontiers T3/P3 digita;l, BAT VK50SE preamp; BAT VK500 Amp, Dynaudio Confidence 5 speakers. I recently inherited a VPI JMW10 tonearm and have just purchased an Aesthetix IO phono preamp. I'm leaning hevily toward a VPI TNT III turntabel and have no idea which cartridge. Any recommendations on cartridges or turntables that will blow away my digital would be appreciated. I'm looking to stay under $4k used for the remainder.