your post brings back memories from my earlier days in this obsession. I remember buying the Dual 701 when it first came out and my Sansui receiver and a pair of Bose 601(yeah, didn't know the jingle bout BOSE back then) and thought, hey this is pretty damn good. The Dual was well respected in its day and Sansui was considered a good brand. 400 dollars for the Dual back then was a pretty high price for a turntable but i thought i had arrived. OVer the years i have had that feeling several times after discovering a new toy. From Dual, to Denon, Mitchell, and finally working my way up the Maplenoll line to the Apollo. I guess i am saying, enjoy what you have but keep looking, trying and getting surprised. Its not always how much money you can spend (and you can spend as much as you have on this hobby), its more how you match and fit components together with your listening tastes. I really never knew how good High Fidelity could sound until i put the needle down on my first Maplenoll. I now run a ZYX Universe II on a Maplenoll Apollo feeding a RCM Sensor II Phono through a Pass xp10/xa30.8 powering my AudioPhysics Caldera II speakers. I think this is the final configuration, but----.
All this being said, with 10-25K, you should be able to put together a reference vinyl system that will please for a long time. But there will always be something better.
All this being said, with 10-25K, you should be able to put together a reference vinyl system that will please for a long time. But there will always be something better.