Which Upgrade First - Cartridge Or Phono Stage

I think you will hear a greater upgrade in sound by changing the cartridge. You will hear the improvement with your ps phono stage

2 issues: 1. Its your money and you can spend it however you like but I think you are making a mistake with the Nordost. I'm not suggesting that it is not a good cable and/or you should not use it. That said, I think it is extremely foolish to buy active components based on what cables you have.If there was ever a wrong way to do something, this is it.
2. I had the 10x5 in my VPI and thought it was great for the money. I also had the low output 20 and it was a very big step up in sound quality. I know you have a $1500 budget but you might be happy with a 20 or something similar and may not need to spend that much. I would listen to a few things first before making a decision. If you call Ultra Systems/The Cable Company (fatwyre.com) you can arrange to try anything you like out of their lending library.

Thanks for the responses so far. I'm hearing what I thought might be the case with respect to the PS Audio GCPH and that I would likely get more bang for the buck migrating up the line with the cartridge.

xxqq250 - I appreciate your position regarding the cables. However, please recognize that I have to take into consideration the WAF associated with having just invested in brand new cables only to have to repurchase because I changed connectors. I'm pretty confident that there are quality phono stages that are balanced out that will not compromise my choice - although the options are certainly more limited. But, I will assure you that I'm more inclined to deal with the limited choices than to deal with an irate wife who really doesn't understand why I'm wanting to upgrade anything in the first place - it's a true balancing act.

I agree that given your situation, I would also go the cartridge route. I also have a Classic 1 and have tried the Dynavector 20X2L, Benz Glider SM and the Soundsmith Zephyr. All 3 are excellent cartridges, but I ended up settling on the Glider. I really liked the Dynavector, however in my system I have a little bit of a hum issue that comes more into play with the Dynavector's Low output (0.3 mV) vice my Glider's Medium output (0.8 mV). I liked the Soundsmith also, but sometimes found it a little more relaxed than what I was looking for.

Gharnden,

I wasn't suggesting that you buy new cables, but that you don't build your system around them. What I mean by that is when you are selecting equipment, get what you think is the best sounding even if it is not the best match sound wise to the cables you have. You can always upgrade cables at a later date. Also, if you find a single ended phono preamp you like, you can just get an xlr to rca adaptors and use your nordost.