Your biggest decision will be to stick with all in one packages, like VPI where your table and arm come together, or to step up to viewing the table and the arm as separate components. This second way involves a fair bit more work, but it really pays off. The other way is easier but you learn a lot less, and believe it or not spend more money to get not as good sound.
The reason for this is most people can afford only so much at a time. Say you can budget $5k for a component. If you upgrade the whole thing you will indeed get a big improvement. But if you put that $5k into just an arm, wow will you ever get a great arm! Last you a long, long time! Maybe forever. (Mine is 16 years.) Or if you put that into a turntable, same thing.
Also the people who make separate turntables and arms, they know these are being compared directly and so put a lot more into them. The people making packages, virtually no one ever removes the arm to see how they sound all by themselves. They know as long as the package is better than the one down their line they are good.
Still, it is a learning curve. That is why I say this is your biggest decision.
The reason for this is most people can afford only so much at a time. Say you can budget $5k for a component. If you upgrade the whole thing you will indeed get a big improvement. But if you put that $5k into just an arm, wow will you ever get a great arm! Last you a long, long time! Maybe forever. (Mine is 16 years.) Or if you put that into a turntable, same thing.
Also the people who make separate turntables and arms, they know these are being compared directly and so put a lot more into them. The people making packages, virtually no one ever removes the arm to see how they sound all by themselves. They know as long as the package is better than the one down their line they are good.
Still, it is a learning curve. That is why I say this is your biggest decision.