Next step up from my Rega P3

I also highly recommend the Well Tempered Amadeus in your approximate price range. I first heard the Amadeus about 10 days ago at Don Better Audio in Cleveland. It significantly outperforms even the Rega P9. I also heard it A/B'd against the new Ayre table (which was very impressive) and the Spiral Groove 1, which honestly would be my first choice for another turntable setup if money were not a consideration. I felt the Amadeus was better than the Ayre, and was surprisingly close to the SG1. I have the Basis Signature 2500/Dynavector 4/Lyra Titan setup right now, and as much as I love that setup, the turntable I will be getting for my primary system will be the Amadeus. And the Amadeus, with the top of the line EMT cartridge and Auditorium 23 RCA's (the Amadeus does not come with RCA's), will "only" be 36 percent of the MSRP for my Basis et al setup. Frankly, if the Amadeus had been available when I was auditioning turntables, I would have chosen the Amadeus over the Basis et al and saved some serious money!

I strongly feel that anyone who is thinking about spending in the vicinity of $4K (or even significantly more) on a turntable should at least audition the Amadeus. It is amazing and an absolute bargain at its price point!

Yes no doubt, Buonarroti, your budget is gone.
Next is your phono stage and choice of cartridge....

I would check this WT Amadeus, too.

At $3K, I'd go for a new Well Tempered Amadeus. If the reviews are even half
true, it would be a step or more up from the P3 in every way.

Firebaugh has the track record, and now he's got an affordable and consistent
source for manufacturing.

As others pointed out, you haven't fully exploited the Rega's capabilities. Both the wiring and counterweight upgrades make noticeable improvements to an RB-300 arm. I kept my modified Rega arm and used it on a Thorens TD-850, with good results. Since there are 4 or 5 elements to this -arm, table, phono pre, cartridge, sometimes phono cable - you may be better off picking one weak point to upgrade, like the phono stage. That way you will be able to identify the source of any change in sound. You might as well take your time, since as you know, from reading this forum, it will never end.

I agree that upgrading the phonostage and cartridge probably makes the most sense with your budget. I'd probably recommend a modified EAR834P for about $2K. That will leave you with $1K for a cartridge. The Rega P3 is nice player and you should notice the improvements. If you want to take your table to the next level I'd recommend getting out of the Rega line and trying something like a Nottingham.

At that price range I would take a good listen the P7. From what I have heard at the dealer is that TT is great value when compared to the P9. At about half the price of the P9 the P7 offers 75-80% of the sound quality. I think Rega offers turntables that are way under rated for the price point.

Buonarroti, My niece has a Rega p3 with the 300 arm and a Ortofon cartridge.
I think the P3 is a decent record player.
With your budget of 3000 bucks this would definitely get you a better phono stage and cartridge.
OR
Keep your phonostage and have it modified.
You have not heard all that your little P3 has to offer, not by a long shot.