What $ percentage goes into the turntable, the arm, preamp, and cartridge?

I don't believe in percentages. A good CD player is a pretty good bit of kit, it takes a really good turntable to match that. I recommend stretching your budget and try to get a really good TT set-up. 

Several recent threads on this subject.

For me, I bought my SOTA table used, and as it turns out, it cost about the same as my new Hagerman Trumpet MC phono pre. My arm and cartridge were more expensive than each.

SOTA Sapphire III (used) 20%
Jelco 850 MKII arm (new) 25%
Soundsmith MIMC cart (new) 35%
Hagerman Trumpet MC phono pre (new) 20%

That is just how mine ’shook out’. IMO, I do think in most cases, the cart is most important to spend a significant amount on. I use other carts very occasionally, but the Soundsmith MIMC makes it all better. That said, had my SOTA Sapphire been new, it would have been closer to 44% of the cost (or more), all others remaining the same. And the table is significant as well. It all is.

I'm shocked that not only doesn't Origin Live list cabling at 50%+ of total priority, they don't even list cabling at all.  

Relax OP. The one above is easily shocked. It stems as usual from not having the slightest clue what he's talking about. Of course they don't mention the cost of the cabling. The phono lead in Origin Live arms is hard wired. Just one of their many strong points.    

You seem to have a bit of a wrong impression about the way they use percentages. It is nothing to do with going cheap and upgrading later. They are very much in line with your goal of having a balanced system.  

Read through everything on there, it is clear what they are saying. There is even the example of comparing a dirt cheap cartridge on a very expensive table/arm and how much better it sounds than the other way around. I have experienced this myself upgrading carts, arms and tables over the years. Any way you want to slice it you are miles ahead to get as good a table and arm as you can. Then don't go cheap on the cartridge, get something you think will sound real good. Just don't shoot yourself in the foot thinking you should spend as much on the cart as the arm. You shouldn't. Their formula is just a rough guide, but it is a pretty darn good rough guide.

@millercarbon  - So if one were to spend $3000 on a tonearm, then the guide says I should be looking at ~ $1000 cartridges.  That seems a bit low for a cartridge and a bit high for a tonearm given today's pricing, given the TT is $3000 and the preamp is $3000.  That is what made me start thinking of the formula %.   

What I am saying is, most tonearms / turntables / preamps haven't increased in price as quickly as most cartridges have in recent days.

What about a record cleaning machine? Some says that a good ultrasonic reveals much more information from the records. Even from new ones due to residue from the pressing.

It helps to have actually done this a few times. I can tell you that for sure a more expensive cart like my Koetsu is a lot better than the half the price Benz it replaced. But comparing the difference in cost with performance the improvement from phono stage and arm upgrades was far, far greater.    

In other words say you have $5k for arm and cart. $4k arm $1k cart will be way better than a more even split. Of course this is all based on your having done your homework in finding the very best value you can for each. If you spend $4k on the arm just because you dogmatically follow the rule and found one for $4k then all bets are off. But if you are doing your due diligence and finding the very best arm you can for around that spend level then yes that is the way to go. 

Also do not lightly dismiss little details like the hardwired phono leads. This one thing alone not only improves performance a great deal it also saves a tremendous amount of money - and time, and headaches - looking for a good interconnect. All these little things go together. 

One other thing, what you notice about cartridge prices is not only anecdotal, it is absent any experience with what those carts deliver for the money. It could just as easily be that there are more expensive carts because so many people have been misguided into thinking they matter so much that money is chasing carts instead of arms. Lotta superficial advice out there. DYODD.

Dear @spatialking : I think the overall issue is not about %%%% but the importance of each system link trying to achieve the " best " compromise/trade-offs we can do for a decent/good quality system performance levels.

The first question we have to ask our self is: which is the sounds source? because it’s from/bythe source link where all the sound information is developed/pick-up, so nothing is more important/critical that the cartridge in an analog rig..
Next could be the link item that will hold and helps the cartridge ( it has to mate it: to mate it well. ) to ride the LP recorded grooves: the tonearm.
After those links we have to think in other two important items: the TT and the phonolinepreamps and as important as is the TT normally where exist more " problems " is in the phonolinepreamp electronic item that’s the one that will handled all the hard task to not only amplify the cartridge signal but it has to do it with very low noise and low distortions and additional to all those it is in the phonolinepreamp where the recorded RIAA eq. must be mimc in inverted whole RIAA eq. with way lower deviation to achieve or be near to what the cartridge pick-up from the LP grooves.
After that and for me will comes the critical TT and platfform if any.

That’s only an opinion and my choice and I’m sure that every one of you have your own choice and way of thinking about.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

@millercarbon

It could just as easily be that there are more expensive carts because so many people have been misguided into thinking they matter so much that money is chasing carts instead of arms.

This is so true - It started with Joe Grado back in the day realizing he could charge $1000 for a cartridge when the rest of the world was getting a few hundred at best and the majority of carts was getting 1 to 3 hundred.  And he went up from there, too!   Back then, TAS was giving glowing reviews on his cart's and he was no dummy, that is for sure.   It's also a lot easier to replace a cartridge than a tonearm, something of which Joe Grado was well aware.Thanks for your advice, it helps sort things out.  I am looking to upgrade my  the system with another tonearm and cartridge.