After studying turntables, cartridges, many reviews, and then purchasing a Rega 6 with Ania Pro cartridge, I learned several things.
Turntables: The better ones remove vibrations better which allows the tracking of the record to be improved. This provides more information to your speakers. Its not just vibrations in the room if you’re walking around, but records with strong bass, the turntable will track the music more accurately. I found a difference between my Dual CS 5000 turntable and the Rega 6 even though my Dual was a good turntable, the Rega 6 was just a clear step up in performance all around. .
They will also have a good power supply, motor, and provide a consistent speed, Then of course a tonearm that once set right, will track very good. Different materials to deal with vibrations cause the price of the higher end turntables to be one reason why they are more expensive. There is more than one design to deal with vibrations. The VPI Scout and Rega use very different methods to reduce vibrations and both are very effective. However the VPI has more of a solid character while the Rega has a lighter airier sound. Granted the bigger difference in sound is the cartridge being used..
Cartridges: They provide the sound and detail of the music. A very good mm cartridge can out perform a ok MC cartridge. However when moving up the food chain, very good MC cartridges will provide more detail. They all seem to have some general personality. Some provide more detailed highs, others a fuller sound, and others more air. It can be quite maddening studying all the different brands and to learn the characteristics of a Grado, Audio Technica, Soundsmith, Hana, Ortofon, and Koetsu to name a few. Then there is the different line of cartridges from them all.
I personally was very interested in the Hana M Series when looking for a cartridge for the Rega 6. However once I realized Rega created and tested their own cartridges with their turntables and tone arm, I decided to stick with what was matched to work well together.
It would be a mistake not to also talk about a good phono pre. My NAD 658 only had a MM phono pre. Just moving to a Parasound XRM provided a louder, and fuller sound while being very quiet. Moving up to the JC3 Jr, the biggest improvement was the dynamics of the music. Once you learn to not focus on the sound of the phono pre (as the XRM and JC3 JR were so similar) you notice the punch of the bass, or durms where they just pop more. There is a improved front to back of the music which you move up the food chain.