Next step: tube preamp or analog?

Dorkwad, thanks for your insights as well; sounds like the phono direction could be a very slippery slope esp for a tinkerer like me. 

Errr - and this is not a slippery slope ?..

I have a maxed out Modwright 5400 Signature Truth CD/SACD player with Audio Magic Pulse Gen ZX, Bybee rails, Audio Magic Illusion umbilical, Star Sound trans mod, Mullard GZ34 rectifier tube, Synergistic Research Blue fuses, sitting on Sistrum rack, with RTS couplers clamping them to the rack.

Or conversly...

- $1500 will get you a very good TT from companies like SOTA, VPI and Music Hall
- $650 gets you the Simmaudio Moon phono stage - a very good unit that can be confugured for most all cartridge types
- $120 gets you the Ortofon RED - a pretty good entry level MM cartridge or
- $300 gets you a nice entry level MC cartridge

DONE!

I too have been on a similar upgrade path to Dorkwad with my analogue rig over the last 30 years and like Dorkwad, have spent considerable money, time and effort getting it to a reasonable level of performance.

However, I have followed the companies listed above and if i had my time over again - I would simply buy one of their products. They are much better products than those that were available 30 years ago.

I am not knocking digital music at all - I do have digital streaming components also, but I tend to listen to them more often as backgound music, but when I want to just sit and listen to music with a glass of wine, I turn to the analogue rig - there is just something about analogue that I prefer.

I think its the flexibility of digital - I can play albums, music from a single artist, playlists etc..all without getting out of my chair, or while I roam about the house and it can be never ending

Whereas with vinyl I have to my butt out of the chair (exercise), select the album and then sit down and listen to a complete side
- or I have to get up repeatedly if I want to hear different artists & tracks,
- but being basically lazy - I tend to listen to a complete side
- which then exposes me to other tracks from that artist
- and the whole process becomes more enjoyable
- especially with a bottle of wine :-)

Hmmm - I guess the same could be said of a CD player :-)

Whichever route you take it will be enjoyable

Hope that helps - Steve

Why not both?  With a budget of $3000, you can get a tube preamp with a phono stage, like the Rogue RP1 ($1800) and a Rega table like the Planar 3 with cart for ($1200).  The Rega tables are pretty much plug and play without endless adjustments.  It's a pretty good place to start without breaking the bank on a turntable.  You can see if vinyl is really for you and then upgrade down the line.  Or add the Rega speed control, and upgraded platter, mat, better cart, etc.  

I realize I'm spending your money here, but that's my recommendation :)

Leaning toward the tube preamp.  Have been considering Schiit Freya, the Jolida Fusion, and now seeing a deHavilland UltraVerve circa 2005.  Seems to me the deHavilland is very well reviewed and I like external tubes, but it lacks xlr connections.  Is this a major consideration?  When I used Silnote Morpheus xlrs to connect the DAC to the integrated amp, it made a huge difference, will I being going backwards without xlrs?