Advice needed on sub $1000 setup

Sound choices of TTs. I would look at the Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp

I've been eying the VP130 preamp...though I found a Lehmann black cube at a great price - haven't heard back from the seller yet, but if it isn't sold I'm going to give it a try (for less $$$ than the Bellari).

I'm also waiting to hear back on a used P3, but I'm going to need a cartridge. The Denon DL-160 appears to be a popular budget cartridge - even more so than the DL-103 which seems surprising. Also looking at inexpensive offerings from Benz and Rega....suggestions?

The Bellari is good, the Lehmann is better. Rega's are great TT for the price. Denon's are wonderful cartridges. You have been doing your homework I see. Though, put extra in this case on the cartridge. Try to squeeze in a DL-304 if you can. Check the specs on the Lehmann, the 304 has only .18mv output (MC). Other than that, you have put together a great setup.

If you don't have room treatment such as bass traps, and you can fit them in to your room, I would put your money there before getting a vinyl rig. I recently did this and I was surprised how good it made digital sound. You can get some pretty nice products that look good and are affordable from places such as GIK. A $1000 won't get you much of a vinyl rig, but it will be enough for some reasonable room treatment and from my experience I know the improvements it can bring to an existing digital based system will be far greater than what you will hear from adding a $1000 vinyl rig. It will be a true improvement, whereas a $1000 vinyl rig will be a lateral move not really improving your system, only adding another medium of playback to an existing system. And it really will make your digital system sound better than awesome.