I went from an Ortofon 2m Bronze and a cheap Pro-Ject external tube phono-stage with upgraded tubes, to a Hana ML ($1200) and a GoldNote PS 10 with the PSU 10 external linear power supply ($3200 for both) and it really was a massive (and necessary) leap forward.
I’ve since moved from the Hana ML (it’s for s a l e on that other used gear site - shameless plug), to an Aidas Cart (same Phono stage) and wow, everything opened up.
Based on my experience, I think I did well by investing in a good quality, really flexible PS (the GS can handle almost any MC/MM cart, dont know about MI) that was future proofing cart upgrades down the line, which to me is way more fun to play with than changing stages every time you get that itch for a better cart.