Turntable is the most expensive in the chain, do it make sense

Dear @honeyooi  : I still own the XV-1s and owned the Rua and both like a stable tonearm, so unipivot is forbiden but not only with those cartridges but with any one. If your tonearm is with gimbal bearing design just fine.

Transducers always makes a difference and in your case speakers can do it where you always should can make the room treatment modifications if those " new " speakers achives your up-grade/improve targets. The other system transducer is the cartridge and today there are several LOMC designs that easily outperforms the RUA.

Phono stage unit can makes a diffrence for the better and in your system you can look for an active high gain phono stage. Your SUT only degrades the cartridge signal.

You have different alternatives to up-grade your room/system quality level performance that depends too of your budget level. Those alternatives could be more important that your TT.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

@honeyooi 

A lot will depend upon where the sonic bottleneck (weakest component) is in your system.

Usually it will be a mechanical transducer (something that turns vibrations into sound - turntable, or signal into sound - loudspeaker.

Both of these need care in setting up and placement. So it's best to make sure that these 2 requirements are fully met before you consider upgrading.

A carefully set up budget turntable will easily outperform a far more expensive one that isn't.

In fact you might be better off exploring some methods of isolation from vibration first, for both your turntable and your speakers.

If a "better" table is your final destination, you could consider a "better" arm for the VPI base instead of the larger expenditure of both.

As an owner of a Classic, I’m aware the VPI philosophy is far from true "high performance" but to my ear, it gets the message across competently when set up correctly, and I like the traditional look of the VPI Classic.

A legit turntable tech can adapt a Kuzma, Triplanar or whatever, and you would have a significantly"better" setup.

@tablejockey 1++ Your weak link is the tonearm. That should be the first item on your list and that makes three of us with that opinion.