I need some turntable guidance

effischer, the Koetsu requires a considerably heavier arm than you would put on a SOTA. The Ortofon Windfeld Ti is very neutral, will match up with just about any system and is one of the best tracking cartridges you can buy. It handily out runs my Koetsu in that regard on the Hi Fi News test record. It also works well in a wider variety of arms. I would not consider a unipivot arm at all. If you look at Lyra's web site you will notice that they specifically recommend against it. The Triplanar and SME are excellent arm but IMHO the 4 point 9 is better and less expensive.

As you've discovered, there is indeed a wide range of opinion on what can be done.  I've owned your preamp and have years of experience dating from the early 70s with your amp and K-horns.  Here is some more food for thought:

Your C2300 has one of the very best phono sections ever made.  Good enough that Harry Pearson had one in his reference system for about a year.  A remarkable feat.  The MC section is especially good and features on-the-fly loading adjustment.  Use it and you won't be disappointed.

Your budget is huge and can accommodate the very best that's out there.  You will want to consider how you want your music presented.  My belief is that matching the cartridge to your speakers makes the biggest difference since they are the two fundamental halves of the transducer system.  The K-horns tend to be a bit bright and will benefit from good definition at lower frequencies.  Consider a high end Koetsu or Dynavector.  Note that both require very precise alignment to deliver rewarding results.  Figure on $5K.

To get the best out of the cartridge, you will need a tonearm that has substantial set-up adjustability and delivers rock-stable repeatability on those adjustments. I personally prefer arms that have VTA on-the-fly, but you may not. If so, look at Graham or Tri-Planar.  If not, consider SME or Ortofon.  The VTA OTF and tonearms all have lots of thread input here.  Figure on $6K, and more for enhanced models.  You will also need a cable.  Lots to choose from there and I found a Cardas Golden Reference that suited my needs for $600 new.  I would suggest not spending a lot on a cable until you have the other bits and pieces sorted out.

The turntable must hold the selected speed endlessly and silently.  It may also have to absorb environmental vibrations (e.g footfalls, nearby truck or rail traffic, etc.).  For me that meant SOTA, which has one of the very best suspension systems ever produced.  I also prefer belt drive for that reason.  If you don't have those concerns, VPI, Pro-Ject, Clearaudio, Basis, Thorens and certain vintage gear might be appropriate.  A brand-new SOTA Sapphire sells for $4K loaded.  Vacuum versions are about $5K.  The other brands also sell in a similar range for very solid products. Surf the forums here for info on whether the vacuum system may be right for you. 

FWIW, I believe the biggest improvements are to be found in the cartridge and tonearm.  They combine to control the point of contact, and that's where Edison's science happens.

Hope this input proves useful for you.  Keep us posted on your progress and enjoy the adventure; remember always this is a hobby.  Happy listening!

I didn't go thru this, but something useful might be in this thread

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/so-many-great-golden-era-dd-tables-out-there-what-do-you-recommend-fo?utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website

A few thoughts, (spending not much at first).

a. I suggest what you heard in other setups, were not only 'great' speakers', but speakers properly matched to the listening space. That, for any speaker, is far more important than all the esoteric 'improvements' in the world, and most often less than ideally achieved. I would spend some time making sure you are getting the best out of your existing speaker location.

A test CD, a Test LP, and a decent Sound Meter are good tools to have forever. Get familiar with them before trying refinement. Do not go for perfection, just find what is happening and any acceptable location that improves things. Personally, I ALWAYS toe my speakers in, and tilt them back a bit, to avoid woofer reflection parallel to walls, floor, and ceiling.

b. nest improve your existing TT: Physical setup is far more important than anything else in ANY TT system.

practice setup skills with existing cartridge, then repeat setup with a new 'good' cartridge with a new stylus (your stylus is worn I suspect). You will use the new 'good' cartridge for a while on existing TT, then move it to your new TT, then in the future probably upgrade the cartridge, keeping the 'good' one.

You need to acquire these skills, for any TT, existing or future. Practice for eventual setup of a new cartridge. Acquire templates, stylus pressure gauge, transparent alignment block with horizontal and vertical reference lines/grid

Level TT; re-align cartridge in Tonearm Headshell, Arm level/parallel with zero tracking force and zero anti-skate; Arm height when floating parallel. Leave anti-skate zero when setting tracking force, then add a matching anti-skate force last.

Then listen with Test LP, especially left right balance which indicates both proper stylus/groove interaction and proper anti-skate to 'float' the stylus left/right in the groove.

...................

Now, when evaluating a new TT, concentrate on what makes you happy every time you glance at it, because, IMO, once a good cartridge is properly set up, improvements will be slight.

Ok Wemfan, you can use anything you like as long as you have a sturdy platform. You should be able to lean against it without making the turntable skip. For 10 to 15 I would get a SOTA Sapphire, put a Kuzma 4 point 9 on it with an Ortofon Windfeld Ti cartridge. I think that should run around 12-13 and you don't have to worry how sturdy your platform is:) 
You would have to spend really serious money to do better than that. You are right at the point of seriously diminishing returns.

Mike

@elizabeth very good advice. I agree and have followed this approach myself. I got back into this hobby a couple of years ago and needed a new turntable for my 300-400 albums. I bought a U-Turn Audio Orbit turntable with Ortofon 2m Blue cartridge. I enjoyed it. As I have indicated in a past post on another thread, listening to records is more than just the music. It IS the ritual that you layed out. This is what I did when I was younger and first got into this hobby. So it takes me back to my youth. It gets me involved in the music playback process. After verifying that I still loved records and playing them and caring for them, I sold my U-Turn Audio setup and got a VPI Prime Signature with Ortofon 2M Black and a couple of appropriate level phono preamps to switch between for fun. 

Why I'm looking for a TT?
I have an old Luxman with a cheap cart that I've had for 20 years and I have enjoyed it. It is far from perfect but I have some records and do enjoy some of what is possible with vinyl with my modest set up. I love the liveliness and absence of so much compression and the general musicality (thats probably not a word) of my old turntable.

Not long ago I was invited to hear a very high dollar system in a treated room and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I've never heard music sound even close to that good, in my life. It really blew me away. It was just incredible. I don't remember which turntable it was but the preamp and amp were Audio Research and the speakers were Rockports. I never knew sound like that was even possible. It was an incredible, exciting musical experience.

The guy who took me there invited me over to hear his system and while not up to the level of quality the first system had, was still, by far, the second best system I've ever heard. ( do factor in I don't get to experience many systems) His TT was a $20k VPI. amp and preamp were Macs. The speakers were PBN Audio, which he was going to sell, so I eventually bought them. 

So, in the last 20 years these are the 3 turntables that I can remember hearing. My Luxman which is fun and has its good points and the two mentioned above which caused my socks to roll up and down all night. They were magical evenings. 

The turntable will sit on a concrete floor covered in wood.

Chakster, 
I believe the same thing. " it really depends on the turntable not the price tag." I'm hoping to find that table. I will look through the Technics line. THX

jrpnde,  It makes sense that the cartridge would be so important. That is where it all starts. I was glad you said that. Of course, learning about cartridges is next on my list and if I seem ignorant about turntables wait until I start asking about cartridges!
And next is an appropriate phono amp.

Guys I appreciates all of the responses. Please keep them coming. I'm looking the suggestions up and I have learned some helpful info.

 It's very hard to believe you have the system(s) listed above, but you don't have basic answers already to the beginner-level turntable/vinyl question you're asking! You're either pulling our collective leg, or else you've inherited these components, right?

But if you're sincere, and those are your system components, I'd say budget minimum $15,000 for turntable, tonearm, cartridge, phono stage (better than Mac built-in), cable, set-up

Goheelz,
What "beginner-level turntable question" are you referring to? I thought my posts made sense and I asked appropriate questions? 

So far in this life I have not inherited anything. I purchased with my own hard earned funds every piece of equipment I listed. I don't know much about turntables or audio equipment in general for that matter but I do like my music to sound good. Every once in a while I acquire a piece of gear or upgrade something but I don't consider myself an audiophile. Actually, my interest in music comes from being a musician. Maybe unlike a lot on the forum the gear doesn't interest me so much so I don't follow too closely what all has been made or is available. When I decide to upgrade something I ask for opinions and I read and consider each one until I find a direction that seems right to me and eventually that leads to some kind of acquisition. I live in the middle of the country, in the country, so there are no dealers close to me and I don't like auditioning things in stores anyway. Believe me, I am sincere and reading every post a number of times in hopes of increasing my knowledge so I can eventually pull the trigger on the appropriate turntable.

Your last sentence was helpful though. $15k or so was about what I was thinking. Of course, I'm still hoping I can do it for less...
,

   Interesting topic to which there is no end to opinions. I have owned a few tables. The one that I still use is a Pioneer PL-530 I bought new in the 70's. Simple maintenance has been done since I bought it. I was lucky enough to have a dealer close by that sells all the rest of the equipment in my system. Brought some of my favorite vinyl to their shop and auditioned tables such as Rega. None of them sounded superior to the Pioneer to the point that justified the large cost outlay of some of the new age tables.   Sure, there are other factors that influence sound...room acoustics and others. From my experience, the cartridge and stylus are the most important factors that affect the performance of a turntable assuming that the table has at least decent workings. Cartridge selection is almost as subjective as speaker selection when it comes to listener preference.

@Elizabeth, excellent advice.  I've used a Technics SL-1600MK2 since the early 80's.  I have 1200+ vinyl albums.  Earlier this year, I setup my first dedicated listening room and, while I still have the 1600MK2 in my rec room setup, I purchased a 1200G w/ Ortofon Quintet Black cartridge and a Parasound JC3 Jr phono pre amp.  I absolutely love the sound. 

To take my analog music to another level, I was planning to buy a Herron phono pre amp before years end.  I have a Herron pre-amp, Innous MK2 media player, Audio Mirrror Tubadour III SE DAC, NAD M22 v2 power amp, and Tannoy DC8 ti speakers. I can honestly say, my digital music sounds every bit as good as my analog setup - to my ears.  Many of my friends think it sounds better.

I'm 71.  Getting up and down to play vinyl isn't a chore, but lately, I spend much more time just relaxing and streaming Tidal or playing ripped CDs.  I considered selling my new analog gear and using the proceeds to buy a really good tube stereo power amp or some mono block amps.  I don't play vinyl enough anymore to justify the money I've spend on my new analog gear, but, at least for now, I just can't bring myself to sell it.

Time will tell :-)

Have you considered ClearAudio?
I sent you a pm earlier.

preamp-  Mac C2300 tube and has built in phono

Krell MCX 350 monos and PBN Audio KAS speakers

Mac MC275 tube amp and Klipschorn speakers with Volti upgrades

It's very hard to believe you have the system(s) listed above, but you don't have basic answers already to the beginner-level turntable/vinyl question you're asking!  You're either pulling our collective leg, or else you've inherited these components, right?

But if you're sincere, and those are your  system components, I'd say budget minimum $15,000 for turntable, tonearm, cartridge, phono stage (better than Mac built-in), cable, set-up 

From first hand experience I can highly recommend the new Rega P8 with the Alpheta 2 cartridge.can be had for 4K or a little less and it’s really nice.

One other option to consider is a used table that is fairly new so if its not for you your not eating the initial depreciation. Most good tables will hold their value once a few years old. 

I'm with chakster on this one though, for new, hard to beet the technics tables at the cost and they tend to hold their value. next IMO your into VPI, Sota, Rega and Project. there are others at more money but do you need a fancy looking table or one that works great oh that's the technics. 

I know where a supposed good deal is on a demo turntable for $10k. One of my questions is should I spend that kind of money or say are the differences marginal or great from a $5k to spending $10k? What do you get when you go up in price? Or what do you lose going down? Where is the sweet spot in higher end turntables?

it is really depends on a turntable, not just price tag, you can find a lot of mediocre turntable for insane price, you can also find cheap plastic belt drive turntables also for insane price for this technology.

My advice was to keep a brand new coreless Direct Drive from Technics, made in Japan. You can actually save a lot if you will stick to Technics new line of TTs. I’m pretty sure you can find a demo of Technics, so you can compare their top SP-10R to their cheaper but still nice SL1200GR. And if you want something in the middle there is an SL1200G (or GAE).

So many reviews online. With Technics you don’t have to spend a lot, but the quality will be superior to anything at the same price. And you can spend the rest on cartridge.

Technics is the answer to your question.

P.S. I don’t think you want to deal with vintage DD from the 70’s/80’s, but some of them are better than new Technics, you just need a knowledge to choose one. I am a big fan of vintage Direct Drive turntables and i have many. I don’t like belt drive technology at all.

It would be helpful to know what you have but regardless, my recommendation would be to get an AMG Giro with Turbo tonearm. It will not disappoint.

You should be able to get a demo under $10,000 including tax.

Another option is the AMG 12, Airforce 5 or a Basis turntable. Those might not fit in your non-budget

Wemfan, I need to know a little more about your situation. Is your equipment stand (cabinet) on a wood platform floor or on a concrete slab? This will determine if you can use any turntable (concrete slab) or just suspended turntables (wood floor)

Maybe you could have opened with that information?
Lol.

A lot more there for members here to now go to town.

I currently have a turntable but want to upgrade significantly.
I want a new one or at least a recent one.
I have a record collection.
I don't have a budget. I know where a supposed good deal is on a demo turntable for $10k. One of my questions is should I spend that kind of money or say are the differences marginal or great from a $5k to spending $10k? What do you get when you go up in price? Or what do you lose going down? Where is the sweet spot in higher end turntables? I think something matching to my system is where I should be but what price range would that be? 

I don't follow audio gear so I really am not aware of what my options are. There are no dealers in my town.

Btw OP.
Please do not get the impression that anybody is trying to put you off.
Rather just make you fully aware of some of the downsides and what is involved to be SATISFIED with record playback.

Elizabeth is spot on
Spinning records is not a media of convenience.
It takes a degree of enthusiasm and dedication.
Then after all that IF you went the cheap table and cart route you may well find yourself wondering what all the fuss is about as you most certainly will be underwhelmed at the sq.

Put simply , you will likely need to spend a fair bit more on a vinyl setup to achieve SQ that compares with a modest outlay on a digital setup.

The TT itself, the cartridge, the phono preamp, cables, SUT, record cleaning system.
All things you will look at and possibly spend money on down the vinyl rabbit hole.
You pays your money and you takes your chances.....

@br3098, LOL!  turntables can be like girlfriends!  Great analogy! :). The expensive ones are usually much higher maintenance.  The cheap ones don't necessarily perform as well, but are probably more reliable!

@Elizabeth, great advice.  Having grown up with turntables and the chore of changing records every 20 minutes, I welcomed digital as a new class of convenience.  Now, although I ave my 1,000+ vinyl collection from the '70s, everything I have is digitized and on my server.  I find it hard to go back to the old routine of picking the album side, cleaning it, putting it on the turntable, getting back up at the end of the side, and then trying to decide what the next side is that I will play.  Compare that to controlling all playback from my listening chair for as long as I want.  Oh, and don't forget the old problem of smoking some of Colorado's finest, falling asleep in your chair while the album is playing on the turntable and then waking up later with the needle still resting on the spinning album!  For me, a good digital setup is so much more convenient!

Do you currently have a substantial record collection, or are you starting from scratch?  Will the TT be used primarily as a secondary source?  Do you want a plug and play table? 

You can’t go wrong with new Technics SL1000R or SP10R
and if it’s too much then look for SL1200G
the GR is even cheaper 

My recommendation is that you decide on a budget you can afford and go to a couple of local dealers who can let you audition some turntables, and set up the turntables for you.

If that is not an option, buy something new and already matched up (Technics, Pro-Ject, Rega) and see if you can find someone local to help you set it up.

You are going to get a lot of different and conflicting advice.  A few questions:
1. I assume from your question that this will be your first turntable?  
2. Do you prefer new or vintage?  Drive type: belt, direct drive or idler wheel?  

If this is your first time I would advise you to buy a good but not terribly expensive unit.  This is where a good dealer can be of great help. 

Turntables are like girlfriends.  You and I will almost certainly have different ideas of the perfect turntable.  You may not have (and should not expect) a lifelong commitment to your first turntable.  And turntables can be deceptively expensive.  I suggest making sure your first turntable is a cheap date.