I have a Clearaudio Performance with a stand alone motor and Satisfy carbon arm. I also have a boat. the boat cost more to buy and maintain. As for the turntable, my motor does not constantly move towards the plinth. somethingn doesnt seem right there, even if the plinth is cut out in the shape of the motor like mine. I use a Clearaudio Maestro Wood and the sound is excellent, clear, detailed and warm bodied. The speed contol is excellent measured with a strobe disc that never varies from dead on.
However, if you dont have everything set up properly, you are wasting your time. You might want to take it apart, and setup the entire table again from scratch. I try to do that every 6 months or so on all my tables, just to be sure. Its too easy to fall into complacency over time. and its not just an adjustment from where it is. I take the arm and cartridge off, and start over as if I was doing it for the first time. Of course, with some tonearms, the hole and mounting screws dont give you much option as to where to mount the arm unless you want to start drilling new holes.
So, try that and see if you can tell any difference. If not, I would try a different cartridge first.
However, if you dont have everything set up properly, you are wasting your time. You might want to take it apart, and setup the entire table again from scratch. I try to do that every 6 months or so on all my tables, just to be sure. Its too easy to fall into complacency over time. and its not just an adjustment from where it is. I take the arm and cartridge off, and start over as if I was doing it for the first time. Of course, with some tonearms, the hole and mounting screws dont give you much option as to where to mount the arm unless you want to start drilling new holes.
So, try that and see if you can tell any difference. If not, I would try a different cartridge first.