@gnoworyta - having gone through a complete rebuild of my 1981 Rega Planar II Turntable - total cost over $2000 - I would recommend switching to a Music Hall MMF 7.3
It has the following great features
- music hall’s unique dual-plinth construction
- one-piece full carbon fiber tonearm
- fully adjustable VTA, azimuth, and dampened arm lift mechanism
- counterweight’s center of gravity is level with the stylus tip, is decoupled from the arm, and acts as a resonance damper
- completely isolated/decoupled DC motor with 33 and 45 rpm speed controls located in the front left corner of the turntable, thus canceling any potential vibration from the motor/belt to the cartridge
- motor sits on its own resonance-damping puck
- optional Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge with a nude fine line stylus ($440 value)
- the supplied cartridge is properly aligned and mounted
- precision stainless steel main bearing sheathed in Teflon® for noise-free, fluid operation
- non-resonant acrylic platter with metal screw-on record clamp and soft felt mat
- high-quality gold RCA connectors and detachable phono cable
- adjustable tip-toe feet with anti scratch cups
- low-noise, fully-manual belt drive design
- built-in round spirit level for proper leveling
- dust cover and 45rpm adaptor included
- excellent instruction manual and easy assembly
If oyu find the Ortofon is lacking - you can then sell off the Rega and get a really good cartridge - like one of the Soundsmith cartridges
For a Phono Stage - take a look at the Simaudio range
- even the entry level 110LP V2 phono stage is excellent value and performance
- they are very quiet and can handle MM and MC
I had the Elys 2 and changed to a Denon DL103 MC cartridge, which i found to be superior
- but have since changed to a Soundsmith modified Denon 103 - and never looked back.
Hope that helps - Steve