Putting together turntable rig

If you have no idea about cartridge yet, but already mentioned some tonearms, I want to say that tonearm and cartridge must be matched to each other (moving mass vs. compliance).

You already have MC cartridge (Hana) and this particular cartridge can be upgraded with much better performers withing $1k budget, but if you considering NOS vintage then you can get something special (it must be MM or MI).

1) I have Reed 3p in my vaults, this is very expensive tonearm, I remember it was fantastic with two expensive cartridges (AT-ML180 and AT-ML170). I currently have two NOS samples. Those are mid compliance cartridges, they are perfect for all modern tonearms.

Let me post a quote from one very interesting article in the back issue of TAS (The Analog Sound, Issue 40) magazine called "Assessing the State-of-the-Art in Storage Media". In this, J. Tammblyn Henderson reports on a listening session comparing digital master tape, analogue master tape, direct-to-disc lacquer and the "live" mike feed; the report consists of a long conversation among J.Boyk, Keith Johnson, Doug Sax, and J. Tammblyn Henderson himself (read below):

What cartridge could have the "lowest distortion of all," "uncanny" resolution, better than master tapes?

Kavi Alexander, auteur of the remarkable Water Lily Acoustics series of analogue vinyl discs, is monitoring disc production by comparing test pressings to the master tape. What cartridge is he using?Another moving magnet, this time the TECHNICS EPC 100 mk4. But he describes the AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-ML170 as very similar, and very close to the actual sound of the tape. In this comparison, he says, virtually no moving coil does so well; most have seriously apparent coloration.

The contrast between these views of moving magnet cartridges and usual audiophile opinion is striking. On the one hand, we have assurances from these leaders of the High-End recording industry that the best MOVING MAGNETS are very close to the master tape (or live mic feed, for direct to disc) and that they are capable of "uncanny" resolution. On the other hand, we have the prevailing perception, amounting almost to a shibboleth, of the High-End listening community, that only MOVIN COILS are realistic in some sense of that word and that moving magnets are incapable of sonic truth.

As ASP pointed out in TAS (Issue 70), the audiophile consumer and dealer community is massively arrayed against MOVING MAGNETS cartridges. But experimentation is interesting, and in this case inexpensive. If your audiophile friends give you a hard time, you’ll certainly have a pat answer: you can say if it’s good enough for Kavi Alexander, Jim Boyk, and Doug Sax, it’s good enough for me. The AT-ML170 has tip resonance at 40 kHz, and hence response that extends to that frequency at least. Flanders again: "The ear can’t hear as high as that. Still, it ought to please any passing bat." Seriously, though, such ultra-extension does seem to be associated with exceptional top end clarity.

Everyone is entitled to personal tastes, but truth is truth. If you want to hear something like the truth, I still say-no matter what everyone else is using-that you should buy a flat-top cartridge like the AT-ML170 and avoid all MC cartridges with a rising top-end. If the sound of live music is your goal, why would you want to hear a sound which is not only untrue to its source but also is something you are "seldom conscious of live".

2) On a light mass tonearm I use SONY XL-50 with Boron Pipe cantilever, I just mounted one of my Sony today and I’m shocked, it’s so much better on a light mass tonearm (previously I tried XL-50 on mid mass arm only). I am happy that XL-50 is underrated, so I bought many samples, including NOS. This is my cartridge of the month. Where else you can get a cartridge with Boron Pipe cantilever for reasonable cost today? Sony is amazing. The XL-50 is one of two finest Moving Magnet cartridges from SONY. Very special features are as follows: The Joint-less delta-type core; Boron Pipe cantilever and nude Super Elliptical Diamond; A screw holds the stylus holder firmly in place; Distortion caused by flex is virtually eliminated; Cup-shaped damper and tension wire! This lightweight and high compliance cartridge is designed for low mass tonearms like my Denon DL-401. Loading recommended by the manufacturer is from 47k Ohm to 100k Ohm (I use 100k). Cartridge output is 2.0 mV. Frequency response is pretty wide: 10Hz - 50000Hz!


Your cartridge is the most important component in analog chain, if you want the most noticeable upgrade in sound quality just change your cartridge. And don't believe the hype (MC is not better than proper MM).  

Thanks for the suggestions, it’s greatly appreciated, but I think my writing was not clear enough. 
To answer the question, I do have just a hand full of vinyl, and listening to Jazz, Blues, Classic Rock and Classic.


I try to get a feeling which component I should value the most for the begining, since I can not afford all of my final component’s at once. 
For example, is it better to get a:

1. $6000 turntable - $1000 arm - $2000 cartridge - phono preamp around $1000

or

2. $3000 turntable incl. the arm - $2500 cartridge - phono preamp $4500

or

3. $1500 turntable - $7000 for arm and cartridge - $1500 phono preamp

The weakest parts will then be updated further down the road.

Will visit tomorrow a local dealer for information, but wanted to get some more opinions.

Sorry for not being clear enough the first time.

So you are looking at about a $10k budget to start. I've done this enough to know there really is no right or wrong way, not at all like people want to make you think. Still you have the right idea, just need to shift the priorities a little.  

The turntable itself isn't the most important element, but it is the one you will use the most, see the most, appreciate the most. So if there is a turntable that really gets you going then go for it. Even if it is the most expensive one you can always run it with a lesser arm and cart and upgrade those later like you said.   

The Conqueror arm gets a big recommendation from me. You read the comments about matching arms and cartridges. Read Mark Baker's informative article about that. I am with Mark. Why would you buy any arm that fussy and limit yourself when you can buy a superior Origin Live arm instead and never give these things a moments thought? Let the other guys fret and fuss over it. That's what I do. Wonderful arm. Never give a moments thought to compliance, mass, or any of that. Simply not necessary with a properly designed arm.  

Another huge point in favor of OL, the integral phono lead. You can easily spend $5k just on the phono interconnect. What a waste! The Conqueror with its integral wire eliminates a lot of signal-distorting connections. This alone is another huge plus.  

Table and arm are as close to forever items as you can get. This alone makes it worth the extra to get as good as you can. Mine's been in use a good 17 years now. My system has grown around it like I cannot believe. That is a long time to still be happy, and it only happened because I stretched and put a lot into it.  

That said, the fact remains that like I said there is no one right or wrong way. Keith Herron makes a fantastic phono stage. Well, he did. If you had the chance to buy a VTPH2A I would leap all over it, screw the budget, screw the table, you can always get those later. These are hard to come by. Point being not to try and get one, but to keep an eye out for all the possibilities. Sounds like you have a plan to keep at it, and that is the right idea, because slow and steady wins this race. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367

Thanks millercarbon for sharing your experience, it’s appreciated.

I believe you cant go wrong with the Feickert turntables. I've head both the Woodpecker with a Kuzma 4 point arm, and the Volare with the stock Origin Live arm. Both were stunning. The Woodpecker would be my dream table but the Volare punches way above it's price imo and it's going to be my end game table. 
For 10k, I think you might find a demo or used Woodpecker with a good arm for around 7k, add a giant killer AT Art9 XI for 1k and there are lots of amazing phono stages that can be found in the 2k range especially if you go used.