You don't have to spend that kind of money to get going. All the fuss about turntables is, in my opinion, tweaky and over blown. It's a pretty basic function. My suggestion would be you a Pioneer PLX-1000 turntable and one of the Hana cartridges. That will run you around $1500, depending on which cartridge model you pick. Sounds like you may not need a phono pre-amp, but if you do, search around for the best one you can afford. My opinion is that the cartridge and the pre-amp make the most difference. My experience is that with a good cartridge, the pops and clicks are not so bad as you think.
In any case, definitely go for it! We stream and do digital music production all the time, here at my house, and have solid gear. but nothing sounds as good as vinyl.
In any case, definitely go for it! We stream and do digital music production all the time, here at my house, and have solid gear. but nothing sounds as good as vinyl.