recommendation for a high end analog system


I never had an analog system until last month. I bought a 1989 SOTA TT with vacuum/Sumiko MMT arm/Dennon 103R retyped with elliptical/sapphire cantilever. My phono is Kitsune MK5 WBT that is amplified by Don Sach 2 tube preamp and Pass X350.5. My speaker are Sound Lab M545 ESL. The TT has been very   well maintained despite its age. It sounded very good until I heard my friend's system which has the same TT but with Lyra Skala cartridge and first generation Triplanar arm (Spectral pre/amp). His sounded noticeably clearer and fuller. What is the best way to get a noticeable improvement in my system without breaking the bank (or before I have to squint to hear the improvement). I would love to hear some wisdom from analog-philes.
128x128chungjh
No, haven’t decided on the tonearm yet. Is there a more professional way of increasing the tonearm/head shell weight than using a tape?
I meant get a 5g weight and use the double-sided tape to affix it to the headshell.  You can use any sort of flat disc that weighs 3-7g.  You would need an accurate scale to weigh the chosen object.  Or ask Tri Mai, the maker of the Triplanar.  Maybe he has a more "professional" attachment for increasing effective mass of the Triplanar. I think a US nickel (5 cents) weighs 5g. If not a nickel then some other common US coin does weigh 5g. There are innumerable options for adding weight.  You can also wrap the arm wand in tape, which also reduces resonance. Etc. Don't forget also that the weight of the cartridge itself adds to effective mass, and the Denon is fairly hefty.  Aftermarket mods to the Denon often also increase its weight (see Zu and a few others); you could look into one of those.  (But I personally would not spend more money on the Denon.) Also, use heavy screws (and nuts if needed) to mount the Denon; that also adds to effective mass.
SoundSmith sells sets of headshell screws with different weights for this purpose.  The bad news is that the screws are quite pricey, something like $40 for a set of four different weights:

https://sound-smith.com/accessories/ez-mount-cartridge-screws
You can get headshell spacers/weights on eBay.

Google "Pats Audio Turntable Headshell Weight - 3 grams" from Scottsdale Arizona.
Thanks gents for the info on the headshell weight. I talked to Triplanar and he told me that the TP tonearm on AG is actually MK3, not updated MK6. It is from 1997. Do you think it is worth it for about $3200? It can be upgraded to MK7 for $1600.