Was your first cartridge relatively expensive?

Howie don't let S23chang's comments get you down. It's not that big of a deal to get into analog. Sure it's more complex than digital, but it's fun too and the rewards are well worth it.

I would start with something like a Dynavector 10x5 or 20X. Not to expensive, but really good sound and if you love it you can move up later. I jumped into analog with a 10x5 and Nottingham Horizon table and had little trouble mounting the cartridge and getting the table setup right away. I would just stick with a fairly simple setup like the VPI Scout or Nottingham Horizon. You'll find a lot of great help right here on Audiogon to get you through your setup, just don't expect instant glory, it may take a little time and energy to understand what it takes to get your particular rig sounding right.

I was told by my dealer and others that the list of importance goes. 1.cartridge 2.phono stage 3.arm 4.table

I have recently upgraded from an entry level setup to something that is far more expensive, and while the new rig sounds better, the big jump is going from only having digital to haveing an entry level turntable.