OK - Now What…?

I know… I’m really missing those albums.  It was ages ago and I was moving around a lot for work, so I stored some 800 records in a friends garage and they got ruined by years of moisture.  Very sad…

Just in case, plan on room for a TT.

To easily get back into Vinyl, this Direct Drive Audio Technica comes with cartridge mounted and aligned, you just select tracking force and matching anti-skate.

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-LP120XUSB-Direct-Drive-Hi-Fidelity-Anti-Skate/dp/B07N3S4X3P...=

It has a built-in optional phono eq, so you can use it with any line level input. I preferred this phono eq to a McIntosh C28 phono, it sounds darn good.

Then, if you get hooked, off you go

upgrade step one: get a spare headshell and a new cartridge with an advanced stylus shape; wider channel separation; and tighter channel balance.

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/cartridges/type/moving-magnet/vm540ml-h

Advanced stylus shape cost more at first, however they last longer, so not much more really.

• Spherical / Conical - 150hrs
• Elliptical - 250hrs
• Shibata/Line contact - 400hrs
• SAS/MicroRidge - 500hrs

https://www.sound-smith.com/articles/stylus-shape-information

note: a few inexpensive tools and skills (you or a friend) are needed to mount and align any cartridge, the advanced stylus shapes need precision for maximum performance and reduce wear to LP grooves.

upgrade two: new TT. Get an arm with removable headshell for existing and future cartridges, including an eventual Mono cartridge.

I bet that Diablo jams! Now what? Go stock up on some good cabs. Your system will sound even better when you're drinking ;).

If all that gear is in a regular living space, and the speakers aren't in their optimal position, no additional spending or anything will make it sound
"better."

Those Sonus Faber's should be out in the room along with appropriate damping/diffusion throughout the room.

You can keep buying more sh*t just for the sake of buying more sh*t, or you can start exploring artists that you enjoy listening to, taking a deep dive into their musical repertoire, find out who their influences are and look into other artists who also fit your genre preferences.  Then come back and see me in five or ten years.