Fellow A'goners, three months have passed and I wanted to share a quick update on the outcomes of my analog system. I ended up buying a Lyra Kleos to go with the Thorens TD 1601. I stayed with my existing phono pre (Zesto Andros II). Rest of the system remains unchanged.
Until now i believed analog was good; but this upgrade has been incredible - it simply sounds much better than my digital front end (Lumin T2). I am just at a loss as to what more i can gain from spending thousands more on a TT. I was willing to spend more - several members here gave me the confidence to pair a 4K cart with a 4K table and expect great outcomes - they were right, the nest result for me has been outstanding.
Hopefully this is useful to others in the same boat. I am listening to Patricia Barber as I type this, and its just sublime....