Next step: preamp or phono preamp

Any particular reason you're not divulging what components you've picked? The specifics about the phono stage in particular, e.g., gain, output impedance, etc., and the amplifier can give some clues as what order you should go....

Oops, I thought I did. My bad.

tube preamp: Odyssey Candela
phonostage: Odyssey Suspiro

current amp: Odyssey Khartago with a few upgrades.
current phono: Lounge LCR MKIII
current table: PROJECT DC + 2M Blue

Since the SYS/Lounge seem to play well into your amplifier, I believe an upgrade in TT/Tonearm/cartridge will make a significant improvement in your overall experience. The source sets the limit on what can be derived from a system. Maybe you should consider working from the source back toward the amplifier. That said, one could easily spend as much on a vinyl front end as on electronics (amp/preamp/phonostage) and have a balanced system. I imagine your amp ran ~$1200, the basic Candela lists at $1600, and the basic Suspiro lists at $1200. The Suspiro phonostage seems to be very flexible in terms of gain and loading options. More so than the Lounge. It should mate well with a number of cartridges.  

In a vinyl system, the two transducers, speaker and cartridge, contribute the most to the character of a system. Which begs the question: What speakers are you using?

@mesch thank you. Yes. Other than some (~25%) records having “shouty” upper mids, the sound is good. Already a big step up from the Marantz integrated I’m upgrading from.

‘Table wise I’m looking at used VPI Scouts and those will be the most I’ve spent on any single piece most likely. I’m considering a couple other tables (Polytable, Marantz T51)  but as this is my endgame system I don’t want to regret any purchases because I’m impatient. I have no experience with any table other than my PDC but the Scouts turn me on and will be a deep pool to dive into.

This had been my thinking lately too so your words ring true for me. I think the table will be next.

@mesch currently running Focal 807v’s. I like them but agree with the Stereophile review where he noted the tweeter can get trashy. If there was a beryllium tweeter upgrade I might pursue that. 

The speakers I have been saving for last as, after next year, I’ll be continuously downsizing to a studio apt and possibly a tiny house. So I wanted to have a good idea what I wanted to get and then see where I land to make sure it’s something that will fit. 

Odyssey has the Kismet Monitors which I’d love to hear but at $3700 I’m not sure I want to spend that much. But who knows.