Turntable Upgrade Suggestions

I have had great satisfaction from mySOTA turntables. Sound engineering, quality construction, great service, American made and superior performance and upgradable. I don't have much experience with VPI, so I can't compare. My oracles are also at the same level.
ANy of those would be a good choice

@Sbrownnw

The Jasmine is a good phono amp. But if I were you I would replace the Jasmine before buying a new turntable. For that kind of money I would look at something by Pass or Aesthetix. New or secondhand.

Mordante, I agree on the phono upgrade. However, don't dismiss the Jasmine without first upgrading the output capacitors. This elevates the Jasmine to another level.

The proof of good equipment down the sound-reproduction chain is whether you can easily detect subtle changes in the first or preceding links (in this case the TT, cartridge, VTA, azimuth, clamps, tonearm). With my modified Jasmine, I can detect modifications in all of these things.

"Subtle changes" include hearing the plucking of strings of violins, the timber of the voice, the more precise placement of musicians on the stage, the sonic aura of the performance room, the leading strike of the piano key, the pre-echo-bleed from the magnetic mastering tape that precedes the actual note (this is like reverse echo).

I second Mordante's response above. I have the Classic 1 (which I like very much) and was running a PS Audio GCPH, similar in quality and price point to your Jasmine, I think. I thought the phono pre was holding me back and it seemed pretty clear that it was the weak link in my system. I considered trying the Jasmine but it seemed a sideways step at best, and I would lose the balanced connection to the pre. I didn't want to get caught in a circle of upgrades on a 500.00 item. If I was to make a move, it had to be significant enough to make a real difference. Turns out, my hunch was correct. I upgraded significantly to the Pass XP15 because I love the Pass sound and have an XP10 preamp. I had worked with Mark at Reno Hi Fi before and he offered a great deal with his 10 day test. Synergy seemed to be possible, on paper at least, with my existing analog setup and my pre. I needed the high gain because I run a Dyna XX2 mk2. I also wanted true balanced outputs. The XP15, simply put, does everything I want and then some. Right out of the box, after an hour of listening after I set it up, I wrote Mark an email saying it was a keeper. Outstanding low end control and response, a full rich 3D enveloping soundstage, and supremely musical and enjoyable. It sounds great no matter what I throw at it--rock, jazz, folk, bluegrass, anything. Macro and microdynamics to die for. I can hear details I never heard before, along with the natural characteristics of the recording space for each recording. I run the highest gain setting (76 db)loaded at 100 ohm, and the low gain (4 db) on my pre. I realize that this was a significant upgrade that may be out of your budget, but I will say that paying attention to the quality of the components at the heart of the system that handle the lowest level signals is very important. You can tweak cables, power cords, cartridges,even the entire front end, but until the heart is right, nothing else will make it so. I now have a phono pre that should be able to grow with me no matter where I go in the future with turntable, cartridge, arm, etc. There are other good contenders in the 2K-3K range, but that seems to be a sweet spot right now for getting an analog system to a significant next level of performance. I would think that upgrading to a 5K turntable will result in good things, but you may want to spend half that amount first on a good phono pre and then see where you need to go from there. Good luck and let us know what you decide on.

Swanny, you "considered trying the Jasmine?" Did you actually give the Jasmine an extended listen or did you just dismiss it because it lacked balanced connections? Have you heard a Jasmine with upgraded output capacitors?

For a cost of $550 plus $25 for Jantzen Superior z-caps, one has a remarkably good phono that fits admirably in a high-end system.