Yes you will hear massive improvement going from your $500 rig to $3k. Like night and day. But then even bigger improvement going from your budget phono stage to something much better. https://www.decware.com/newsite/ZP3.htm This front end will be so much better than what you have now you will not believe.
One thing I always tell people with turntables, because everyone gets hung up on sound quality they hardly ever mention it, is you actually use these things. Everything else you just push a button, turn a knob. Turntables you handle. The pleasure and satisfaction you get just looking at and handling it is priceless. Also a good one tends to be a keeper. My last one was 17 years.
This is huge. Because you could do the phono stage first, but then only get the ear candy. Do the turntable first though and you get the ear candy and the eye candy and something you enjoy handling as well.
The one thing you are worried about, will it sound better enough to be worth it, is a given.