Where is the significant point of diminishing returns on hi-end turntable?

@rushton  please contact me regarding the Walker table, I don't see it on Agon classified.  michaelmartincolorado at g mail dot com

This is funny, everyone is prepared to spend your money-LOL.

$25K is healthy budget. My only advice is to listen to as much equipment as you can understanding that you will never duplicate the environment- so you only get the shadings of the illusion you will create.

 I have close to $50K in a front end that also includes the Io from Aesthetix and folks on some forums would chuckle at the modest investment I have.

There is no end it is a black hole.

Many would also consider the Io the worst possible choice of technology for the purpose of amplifying signals in the thousandth of a volt range.

I don't know your age or your inclination for being handy but take that into consideration when you make your decision. Vinyl is a serious commitment to maintain and adjust the hardware and to seek, clean and rate the iterations of software. 

You want to the equipment to be removed from the equation in terms of reliability and maintenance. The nature of the vinyl reproduction chain is that there is no "1" and "0" the adjustments and permutations are endless in terms of set up and tweaking.

I don't want to deal with airlines, drain lines, springy suspensions and the influences of some mad scientist who produces pieces in his garage with tolerances that are suspect. I've been through the air bearing tables and arms, magnetic levetators and stabilizers, flywheels and magnetic tape belts.You need to consider the quirks of some designs and balance the workload and any sonic benefit from them against that work put against their use.

Moving to a high mass stable turntable with impeccable machining from aircraft type materials on a solid platform made a big difference. I also believe that wood and plexiglass don't belong as part of  a precision instrument- just me.

Having said all that, its a hobby- so have fun and don't listen to a guy that does not want to futz with a turntable but has over 30 tubes in his system with lines across the floor  traveling to his electrostatic speakers carrying several thousand volts- never mind :)

I directly compared the rhea signature with the Herron and much preferred the Herron. It's cheaper too!  Worth checking out. 

After watching YouTube videos of the Walker it looks sweet, however, I don’t have the room for the large compressors and tubes. I want to find the balance of great sound and convenience. That is why I bought the KL Audio cleaner - cleans both sides - no fuss, no muss. I am willing to clean a record but I don’t want to spend more time preparing to listen than listening.

Analogluvr, I will see if I can find the Herron, sounds interesting.

@analogluvr What was the sound characteristic you found better with the Herron.