How to identify my weakest link?

@mulveling thanks for the Benz cart idea. Very interested. Oven been hoping to find a good wood option to consider. After doing some surface research the Benz Zebr L looks like a damn fine cart based on reviews. Thanks again. Appreciate the suggestion

@asvjerry Humorous to me that you assume I’m an old guy. Keep it up!  

Thanks for the responses.

@millercarbon 

I forgot to mention that I do have Nobsound springs under my speakers and have built a pretty nice isolation platform for the TT with recessed Nobsound springs sandwiched between some butcher block. Wrapped the butcher with wood veneer then stained and finished to match the TT. Looks pretty legit 🙂. You mention a purple fuse for the Herron and I assume some sort of vibration tape? Where can I get both of those? Thanks! 
 

I should also add that I would absolutely benefit from some room treatment but to be honest, aesthetics matter more to me. I’m just not interested in hanging clouds or placing random panels on the walls. My goal is to make the stereo sound as good as it can without making my living space look like an audio room. 
 

I like the idea of thinking of the amp and speakers as a package deal. The B&Ws are nice but can absolutely sound a bit bright depending on the recording. I feel like I’ve tamed them a bit with the tube power. Maybe different speaker cables would help even more? Copper vs. silver? The Kimbers are silver. Any more “liquid” sounding cable suggestions? 

@tomic601 is that a Herron with a custom wood faceplate?! Looks pretty great! I really dig those wood isolation platform with the live edge too. Nice!

I wish it was easier to post pics here 😐

@millercarbon 

Thanks for all the info and ideas! I’ll dig in for sure! You hooked me up with the Nobsound springs idea awhile back and as skeptical as I was, I was proven very wrong. Huge improvement. I’ll will look at upgrading to pods at some point. Sounds like they’re the way to go! Appreciate the detailed response. 
 

@noromance yeah the Umami is an option too. I definitely like the Hana SL and have thought about going the MLroute but then I came across the Purple Heart reviews. I get it, they’re reviews but it seems to get a thumbs up everywhere I turn. 3x the price though. I doubt it’s 3x the cartridge but maybe? Only one way to find out. Try it. People talk about finding deals on this cart, but where? I feel like buying a used cartridge is a bad idea. 

Thanks for all the great feedback everyone.

@big_greg thanks for the cart breakdowns. Yeah it does make me a bit nervous purchasing a $3k cart on the grey market and I have heard about some of the Kiseki quality issues. Hmmm. I’ll check out the Grado wood bodies too. I’m a big fan of the Herron. Not changing that anytime soon.

@tomic601 I have spoken with Kieth a couple times, great guy! I haven’t really played around with the loading plugs that came with the Herron. To be honest I forgot about those. Time to experiment! Thanks.

@jond Thanks. I’ll look into copper speaker cables. Good call

@avanti1960 yeah I looked at the Lyra carts. From what I’ve read, I might be better off with something a little less analytical given the speakers I’m running. 
 

@mulveling Thanks for the ideas. I think I’ll start with cables until I can decide on a cart direction. I’ve also thought about going the Clearaudio Concerto MC given I’m already running the Ovation. So many options.