SOTA cosmos turntables

Looking for advice from fellow SOTA owners. I have an older Sapphire with Premier FT-3 arm and Benz MC20E cartridge. In 2005, based on their recommendations I had SOTA install a composite arm board, modify the sub-chassis, replace the bearings, reglue the mat/added EAR and add a large drive belt. Table sounds pretty good but now I want to bring my analog set up to another level.

What do you recommend I do to get the wow factor that I'm looking for? Can I get it on a limited budget of $1,000. Is a cartridge upgrade (for example, Benz Glider) the way to go or do I need to bite the bullit and buy a SOTA with vacuum, like a Star? I personally don't think my table justifies a better arm. But if I'm wrong, please tell me.

Rccc -

Would the move to a Star with vacuum hold down be a big improvement over what I own? If so, I'd consider trading in my table and buying a refurbished Star directly from SOTA. Is the Glider a good choice or do you have another cartridge that you'd recommend?

I talked with Donna at SOTA yesterday and she is developing some options for me. Now all I have to do is find the money!

Thanks. Am currently dealing with Donna and will ask for a realistic turn around time. But, on the bright side, I can collect a lot of empty soda cans in 2-3 months.

Question: Will the vacuum holddown eliminate the need for using my reflex clamp? And will moving to a vacuum holdown table make noticeable improvements in the sonics? Same question for moving to the upgraded motor. Will an improved motor improve the sonics?

Bottom line: I'm really looking for the wow factor and not interested in just swapping out compononents for the sake of functionality.