Best Analog for $10K

*jperry*
I read a review of the DS Audio Optical cartridge system last night. The reviewer makes it sound both state-of-the-art, and potentially ruthlessly revealing. It certainly differs so from convention that I would surely want to hear the system before committing to it. 
One drawback I can think of is if I purchased a great phono stage, it's adjustability would allow me to try different cartridges. With the DS Audio, you are committed to their complete system. But I did ask to minimize tweaking, didn't I? Lol

If you really want set it and forget it, I still can’t imagine a better option than Rega or Technics. 

You did say you wanted to minimize tweaking. ;-)

Every time you change cartridges you need to re-balance the tonearm and set VTA, unless you have a non detachable headshell, then it is more work. You may also need to reset the cartridge loading for a MC cartridge.

I like fiddling with turntable related stuff, but I know that is not true for everyone.

Whatever you decide have fun and enjoy the music.

Best Regards,

Jim Perry

Well the Herron for sure. World-class performance, real-world price, so highly sought after you can sell and get 90% of your money back easily, any time, on the off chance you decide to bail on analog. Hey, it happens.

Interconnect, simply buy the best Synergistic Research you can afford, used. 

Go with just about any arm in your range but do NOT go with any arm that requires its own interconnect. Hard wired arms only. Arms that require a separate interconnect (like Graham, which I had) the connections all degrade the sound by an amount you will not believe until you go to an arm (like Origin Live, which I have) with direct RCA wired right to the cartridge pins.

Your budget is also just enough you should be able to get a Koetsu Black Goldline, about $2500. What I like about the Koetsu, it sounds so good you just lose all interest in fussing with it. Other cartridges I had before, always felt like VTA needed to be perfectly dialed in. I was one of those guys who would do this with every record, write it down, set it every time. With the Koetsu I did this about three times, and yes I could hear a difference, but unlike the others that were clearly better with it precise with the Koetsu it seemed only slightly different, not necessarily clearly better, and so I was happy to just leave it be. 

Koetsu, Herron, Origin Live, and Synergistic- cannot recommend them enough.

As for the turntable, I am going to go different than everyone else and say whichever one you like. Buying the table and arm separately usually winds up being better, but with a lot more work. Which honestly, if you get the other stuff recommended here that's 90% of it and you can safely go with a table/arm sold together and still be totally captivated with the results.

In fact the main problem will probably be what to do with your digital gear when you realize its just not cutting it any more.

I know this is a different question than the one originally asked, but what if I went out and bought a VPI Player or a Shinola Runwell. All in one box solution. How much performance am I leaving on the table compared to the $10K suggestions?