Vinyl System Upgrade Path Recommendations

+2 on the Nagaoka MP110. Great cartridge and value, very smooth and balanced. I have that one plus the MP150 and MP200. All are superb.

Thanks @stevecham the Nagaoka will be high on my list. At that price point it and with all the positive reviews I've read it seems like a nobrainer. 

@designtaylor 
Also very important... religiously clean your stylus per your cartridge manufacturers recommendation. Long story short, I ran out of mine and started using distilled water, which was not up to the task. I tried many time consuming and expensive things to get my sound quality back, all because of a little bottle of fluid. Sigh...

designtaylor,

You reaped A Lot of good suggestions, advice and recommendations.

You sound Happy with your system. No need to go down the  "Rabbit Hole"

Take your time before your make this Leap. SOURCE is # 1.

Source means records. Take care of your source.

DIY ultrasonic record cleaner for $200.00 is a steal, your best buy and investment. Will make your source the best it can be. Look up Rushton's thread on cleaning. Develop Your regime and USE IT. Make it a Habit.

First upgrade; A  cartridge compatible with your TT and tonearm. Visit dealers and audio shows. It is impossible to get cartridge auditions. You will need to satisfy your self with a House Sound for now. Any of the brand names in your price range will do.

Preparing yourself for REAL Upgrades and the "Leap"

Save your nickels, Save your nickels, Save your nickels. Visit dealers, even a weekend trip to audition equipment and to Learn, is worthwhile. Try to attend one of the major shows while saving your nickels.

Continue to dream and Save your nickels. Do not waste money on small Sideway moves and upgrades. Build your Source collection and take care of it. You have a nice starter system.

Second upgrade. There are a lot of great used TTs on the market. Do your research and dreaming. Maybe a phono stage too. When you are ready to make this "Leap" , use the nickels that you have saved and find a great deal and negotiate for a steal of a deal.

You will be amazed at what a great TT rig (Source Component) will do for a starter system.

You have now taken the Leap;  Down the Rabbit Hole. Unless you are of strong character. You are in grave danger at every twist and turn. Prepare to start saving A Lot of Dollars. Nickels will not do it anymore.

Check back with us, to receive the next "Map"

Best on your Journey

               

Thanks @nkonor & @rockrider for more solid advice. Cleaning and maintaining my "source" was a consistent theme. I'll look into building or buying a good cleaning solution. 

I appreciate the note about avoiding too many lateral moves in favor of saving up for bigger and better upgrades. As I'm still gaining knowledge about how equipment impacts things and still developing a better understanding of my personal preferences, I will likely want to experiment a bit with similar level options before moving up to the big time. I really enjoy that you can buy and sell used gear and get to try a lot of things. For instance, before I settled on the Eico I had a Fisher KX-200 and a Dynaco SCA-35. Before the Totems, it was JBL L40s. 

Next moves are clean, clean, clean... and probably the Nagaoka MP110, and possibly a new phonostage. 

Any recommendations on good shows to keep an eye out for? I'm in Austin TX. We've got a few vintage and high-end audio shops but it's pretty limited.