Would I be wasting my money to get a turntable?

not if you like records or have a bunch

@grislybutter 

That is a pretty accurate diagram!!  It’s not a shot at the analog group nor digital.  It’s been said a million times, to get really good analog to match a well sorted dig rig, it costs $$.

It’s about goals I think, do you want a top shelf analog rig that sounds really good, or something good that one can still enjoy (not shooting for best SQ) > because it WILL cost you.

Being I’m in a similar situation deciding whether to pursue this, in my limited time and experience (TT) thus far building an analog rig, it takes a lot of work and setup to even come close to dig and can see how accurate the statement regarding analog cost is 100% true.

i have hardly any vinyl, starting from basically scratch, and have a learned a ton thus far.  Purchased a RCM, new albums, learning about pressings etc…I’m still in early stages of trying diff components out and am still kinda on the fence whether or not to do this as I can see first hand what it takes => $$

However it’s really more about the physical aspect, the interaction and ownership of music.  SQ alone will cost a lot, so it’s a balance of getting good sound that’s enjoyable (good enough without an insane outlay).  At least I think that’s a fairly accurate perspective.  SQ, cost, goals etc…are all very subjective so one has to find their own “balance” and perspective. 

Unless you just want to play with a turntable, the answer is yes, you’d be wasting your money. Sound quality is no better and on most recordings, it worse.

There’s no amount of money one can spend to make a poorly recorded album sound like a great one.

@OP If you don't already have a large record collection the answer is absolutely not. It's not just a question of whether the TT will be as good as your existing streaming system but also the opportunity coast. For what you will spend on the analogue playback you can make a substantial upgrade to your existing system.

This spanned the widths and depths of logic and reasoning ranging from the metaphysical to the ultra-technical.  He he...I'd say it's really just a matter of two things:  Do you want to?  Can you afford it?  Do it.  Even small budgets can get into a system that will reveal whether or not you'd be into it going forward.  And we love to upgrade so if it sticks you can do that later.  If it doesn't work out, sell it.  The net would be worth it, I think, to have tried it.