I need some turntable guidance

Dutchydog, saying "always" usually does not work well. Many records do sound better than their digital counterparts like Jethro Tulls thick as a brick. On the CD version Ian Anderson's voice is very harsh but on the record smooth as silk. I just down loaded a 96/24 remastered version of Thick as a Brick but have not listened to it yet. If a record is remastered correctly for digital playback it certainly can sound better than the vinyl. The Leon Russel (blue) album is a good example. The vinyl is somewhat muffled sounding even at volume. The digital version is clear as a bell and more dynamic. So it all depends.

Mike

OP,

one thing that that seems to be true is that you are not a tinkering audiophile. You are a musician who loves great sound.  If you think you might like tinkering or obsessing over adjustments then great. If you want to be less involved with the gear, I think the recommendations for Technics and Rega are spot on.  

@mijostyn, Mike you clearly know VERY little about the Linn LP12 turntable. The more you post, the more you show your ignorance.

Firstly, the sub chassis has been re-worked over the years to address resonances...the current model utilizes a very damped and specific design that is not only highly rigid, but also non-resonant....which again IF you knew anything is called the ’Keel’. Even the entry level model has a new design that addresses rigidity ( Magik)...and is engineered differently than the original design..which was over forty years back!!
The platter does not ring, why because it is mated to a sub-platter..!
The current plinth ( well current in your terms, although it has been available for a paltry twenty years!) is corner braced...as such there are no issues with warpage...even in climes like sweaty Florida, LOL.
BTW, mine is a non-corner braced plinth...and it looks like the day I bought it ( over thirty five years ago!!) ( True, I don’t live underwater in a sweaty clime)
The current ( again modded...oh- thirty years ago and again ten years ago) arm board is either a multi layer wood/plastic base( on the entry level table), or is now one piece with the sub chassis and therefore made of metal!! ( Kore or Keel). None of this you know, since your last exposure to the table was what....25+years back!! Doesn’t stop you from continuing to post your drivel though...
One thing you are correct about, the table from your long bygone era has been corrected....and it is a VERY different sounding table. None of this you would know, as you prefer to stick with your blinkered opinion.

mijostyn I have been following several of your threads on forums concerning turntables and actually based my current purchases on your knowledge and information, eg., SOTA and Kuzma 4 point. I have not decided on a cartridge as yet though. However, having just read your last comment I am a bit worried now over your explanation of brain-behavior relationships; to wit, whether you are right or left hand the speech areas including Wernicke is found in the left temporal lobe even thought many other abilities are found on opposite sides of the brain, ie., motor and sensory functions. Perhaps you should stay within your lane instead of having to be the smartest in the room...after all you did pride yourself on knowing your weaknesses BOOM, but your advice on the turntable and arm will hopefully be spot on. JMW759

@jaym759 While Mike ( mijostyn) may be ok giving advice on the Kuzma platform? i wouldn’t take too much heed in what he states about other things, particularly the Linn LP12! He sure doesn’t seem to know his weakness BOOM when it comes to that table, LOL.