Help me pick a phono, pre and cart

Dear @professorsvsu:  """  But there's a reason some prefer the Mona Lisa over a photo from a smart phone. One represents soul and character while the other is an accurate digital representation.................................

makes music a dynamic, emotional experience - it's soul. All too often solid state equipment can measure up with specifications, but can't quite get it when it comes to putting a smile on your face or a tear in your eye """

As poetry, painting or sculpture MUSIC wake up different kind of human been emotions/feelings no matters that you or me listen it through an old Walkman device. 
The soul in MUSIC is something intrinsec to it and tubes or solid state audio items are totally out of that " soul ". Try to say that tubes has soul and SS did not is only a big misunderstood about.

Now we can read several bordering " stupid "  statements like:

"""  ss designs that sound harsh .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

 in particular, brightness. so I find that a good tube phono section is easily better in this regard than most solid state;   """""

I think that statements like those are made by people that just did/do not attend to live events to often to listen at near field MUSIC.

I say that because when any one of us attends to listen live music at near field ( seat/position. )  either listen it to a  single instrument ( violin, horn, piano, battery,... ) or a small group or a big orchestra we are hearing precesisily some of those " forbidden " characteristics as: harsh, brigthness, aggresive, dynamic, powerful, rythm, tigth, definition, shinny, and the like that only live MUSIC has and SS is the only way to listen it at a home audio system.

Did you listened at normal SPL excecution a horn player playing at 2 m. from you or a piano or a violin or a cymbals or a drum or an arp or a triangle? if not then you have to is a must to understand where is the MUSIC.

Words as smoothness, ligth, musical, organic and the like does not exist in live music or SS only in through the fully degraded tube colorations.

 The same " color tube " you reffered in what you posted:

"""    and do tubes "color" sound? Yes and yes. """

A good SS designs puts you and puts all of us nearer and truer to the recording where the recording microphones where at near field position ( exactly as I explained when we are listening and seated at near field  in a live event. ). So why we want to hear something different on what's in the recording?  why can we like all that colored and degraded and full of everykind of distortions through tubes?  when live MUSIC is way different.

Many of you think and say are music lovers, truly? because through your posts almost all of you are showing something contrary to been " music lovers . That you like more to live " in and with the deceive only speaks about your AHEE training where SS and MUSIC were not part of that training.

If you don't like what you listen through SS audio systems then you don't like MUSIC or just are unaware of how live MUSIC sounds and I can tell you that sounds just glorious and way different of what you listen in your beloved home audio system.

As I said: tubes can't do it, period no matter what.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC REAL MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

@atmasphere  Thanks- Any suggestion on playter pad upgrade?

@stringreen I was just at John Rutan’s a couple of weeks ago, listening to the new Ayre EX-8 integrated.
As far as TT’s go, he carries VPI, and Clear Audio, which is the reason I was considering a Prime TT. It seems difficult to find places where I can audition A/B comparisons on turntables. Never mind cartridges. 

I actually like the idea of getting an older Technics or Garrard, but the realistic vs idealistic debate inside my brain leaves me leaning towards a new TT, set-up, calibrated, and delivered set up and ready to go.  

@rauliruegas I’m certain you have an expert opinion to debate with others, yet at this point the debate of SS vs Tube phono pre-amps is irrelevant to my decision. I’d appreciate it if you’d take the discussion to a different thread or engage privately with those that wish to debate the point. Thanks 
Jim

Dear @jetson : All of us live in a free world and you and me are part of rthat world. Internet forums are part of that free world. Before what you call " debate " my last post in the thread said to you: " Good Luck ".
Was other member and latter other ones whom started asking something " about ".

In the other side, in your last post you said: " is irrelevant to my decision " when in your thread posted why is relevant to your decision even if you don't like it that " debate " or that you just don't care:

""  I’m looking for help in picking a phono player pre and cart .

Right now my main thoughts are VPI Prime Scout or Prime with Grado Statement series cart, and an Ayre Px-5e pre.
In addition to specific item recommendations, I’m very interested in how to split the budget item wise. In other words more or less on player vs cart vs pre, I.e. Scout with Statement2 or Prime with Reference2 for example. Or go higher than 20-30% on the pre?
I lean towards spending the most on what’s least upgradeable.... """

why are you looking for?, I hope that to listen MUSIC in the best way you can do it no matter what: rigth? but if you " are looking for.." something different then I agree that is totally irrelevant for you.

@almarg  told you about the problem on impedances and you received a Herron answer that was unspecific about, not a precise and kowledge answer:

""  We have VTPH-2A customers that are using preamplifiers with 20k Ohms RCA single ended input impedances that are pleased with the sound. ....."""

that means almost nothing because you don't know the audio items in all those customers including how low goes the speakers vs your new ones.

"""  I researched at his site, and although much of the specifics is beyond my knowledge, I like his design approach.....................
@almarg Thanks for bringing the input impedance requirements of the VTPH-2A to my attention.

Would I be better off getting a different used pre that’s a better match to the Ax-7 for now?   """


Beyond your knowledge? I can see why the " debate " is irrelevant to you.

R.