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Best turntable for the buck

I now amazingly find that my analog system has fallen behind my digital system in  SQ and I want to investigate how to improve it. 
Currently I have a heavily modified Rega RP3 turntable, with two power supplies, a new platter, sub-platter and other internal enhancements. My cartridge is the Clearaudio Virtuoso.
Not that it’s bad, but I want to look for  something that will significantly improve the sound of my current setup. 
Will about a 4K investment do that?

rvpiano
mjcmt's avatar
mjcmt
711 posts
 

Not that it’s bad, but I want to look for  something that will significantly improve the sound of my current setup. 
Will about a 4K investment do that?

I'm sure you're considering the Rega Planar 8 w/ Ania.

ghdprentice
7,494 posts
 

@bkeske

”And I don’t care what anyone says, for me, vinyl is simply magical, and will always be better than my digital source.”

I have used vinyl for over 50 years and built ever better vinyl rigs to get the very best out of it. Until my digital rig bested it. My rig is shown under my UserID. Paradigms shift.

bkeske's avatar
bkeske
5,597 posts
 

Good for you, have fun. I’ll do the same….and I do listen to all the various formats….but vinyl will always be preferred. It just sounds right and more ‘real’ to me.
 

As the kids used to say, ‘it’s all good’.

hipsterjefe
21 posts
 

Perhaps a Rega Fono MC phono preamp (roughly $550) or a Rega Aria MM/MC phono preamp (roughly $1,700) and the rest of your budget spent on the best MC cartridge you can find might improve things. Personally, I'd get a Linn Majik LP12, as previously suggested, and start the inevitable climb up the Linn ladder.

bobbydd
99 posts
 

Another to consider is a Dr Feickert Volare with Origin Live arm, $4K without cartridge.  It is smaller than a SOTA and requires an isolated platform.  It is dead quiet in operation (more quiet than the SOTA).

I've owned 2 SOTA's over the last 35 years, including my current Star III/SME V combination - bought new.  They are wonderful tables with a fantastic suspension, just not as quiet in my experience as some other very good units.

Pros and cons, as usual, in this price segment.

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