Just retired and want to get back to vinyl listening

Ralph-I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for being the resource that you are. You lend a tremendous amount of reliable information in simple layman's terms to this Board. 

Suggestions for cartridge choices are welcome. Considering .....

Cartridge manufacturers really don't want to admit this, but the ability of the tonearm to properly track the cartridge is far more important than what cartridge! The Triplanar is one of the most adjustable arms made (even can adjust effective mass a bit) so as a result it can track a pretty wide range of cartridges.

IOW you will do well with all the choices you have listed. Your taste in music has nothing to do with it; no cartridge made cares what sort of music you play (this is true of electronics and speakers too), nor does a particular cartridge favor a certain type of music.

So I look at it in terms of how well the cartridge holds up. I've had a Transfiguration Orpheus that has done quite well- its on its 6th year and is still relaxed and musical. I expect sooner or later the suspension will die and when that does it will have acquitted itself quite well.

Modwright KWI-200 integrated amp.  Can also get a phono section in the amp at extra cost.  Modwright stuff sounds very good and the 200 watts per channel will drive most any speaker.  You're out west so if you have no major reservations about buying used, your money can go MUCH farther.  You can generally get equipment for 50% of the list cost, sometimes much better than that.  Used, you can get this IA with phono for under $3500, maybe better.

If you have any woodworking skills at all, buying a used Lenco 70, 75 or 78 TT and doing much of what the Home Depot thread on Audio Circle tells you to do, can yield an awesome sounding table.  I have ZERO mechanical or electrical knowledge and I did it and the idler driven platter is dead accurate on all speeds and sounds frightened dynamic and real.  I second the use of a Trans-Fi Terminator straight line tracking air bearing tonearm.  I did the combo and after many parts upgrades it cost me about $2500 for the pair.  A Shelter 501 Mk II or III MC will get much of the higher priced sound right.  An Allnic H-1200 phono section is the most dynamic phono preamp at a still reasonable cost.  If you were to get the last pair used, it would cost about $1300-1400 so for $3800 and some work by you, you'd have a very good analog section that could compete with $10,000 set-ups and not be embarrassed.

Speakers are a matter of preference, however, the Tekton Double Impact speakers are all the rage on Audiogon Forums.   Many have sold their very expensive speakers and bought the DI's and love them--very dynamic and live sounding.  Base price is $3000 new, although Tekton does offer a couple upgraded parts DI's at $3600 and $6000.

Cables can effect the sound in very positive or so-so ways.  When I jumped to Darwin Silver ICs, it was a big jump up in performance over Morrow or many others in the good for the money group.  Also, the Amadi Maddie Signature ICs are very good and the equal of the better Darwin cables.  The AMS's are also silver wired.  Neither Darwin or Amadi ICs are bright sounding but very detailed and transparent with excellent bass.  I have several pairs of either available at used prices.  It took ICs that were more expensive to make a big difference and it was super synergy in my system that cause me to go for that change after hearing them.  There was nothing out there at the used price of the Darwins or Amadis that is their equal--$140-$250.

Amadi also makes very good power cables along with Cerious Technologies.  Speaker cables like Speltz Anticables are awesome at their price--under $85 for an 8 ft. pair new.  Very clear and detailed again with no brightness.  It took a pair of Cerious Technologies Graphene Extreme cables to take them out of my system for good. The CTGE cables are $640 for 8 ft. pair.   Amadi also makes an excellent speaker cable at about $600-700 an 8 ft. pair.
   

Update!!!
     
There has just been a pair of VMPS RM30 ribbon speakers put on VMPS website of Audio Circle for $1000 used and in good shape a few minutes ago.  The guy's wife didn't like them so much as he did.  This pair retailed for over $5000 new.  You want clarity, beautiful voices, dynamic, great soundstage, tight bass--all with adjustability to rooms and systems, here it is.  I've owned a pair and have the big brother VMPS RM40 BCSE edition.  The RM30's will sound great in any room.  At their new price they would be a bargain, at this price--unbelievable.  Read the reviews online.  Heck, if you didn't like them you could sell them at a profit out west.

Well, my speakers are much better with smaller scale acoustic music, including vocal, than with anything else. Not bad for jazzrock, though, and electric guitar anywhere. Not good with large scale music. Does it mean that the speakers are bad ? It's a matter of perspective, I don't think so. I assume that only extremes, either junk or reference level, speakers perform more or less equaly with any kind of music. Think JM Labs Focal Grand Utopia, top of the line or close to it Kharma, Tidal, MBL etc. So, ideally yes, in reality no or not quite. Electronics is another thing, there should be no difference. And cartridges - I don't know, I didn't notice much difference when excluding the speakers and listening thru the headphones, still slightly better with acoustic music, but so are my headphones !