First table, second cartridge, ...

Welcome to the world of vinyl! Some of us old farts had no choice… way back when. But starting by learning what you have is a great idea. So spend time with it, understanding the sound.

Once you really know what your system sounds like… well, you have a world of better sound ahead of you.

After fifty years using turntables, my recommendation is to have a carefully chosen phono stage of no less than the cost of your turntable. Until I bought a Audio Research PH8 my phono-stage always held back my turntable. I would highly recommend a used one for your system… or better. Audio Research is a true audiophile companies and makes world class phono stages.

Raving reviews of inexpensive phono-stages are great, but never compete with true audiophile phono-stages.

What is the rest of your system? There is a place to show photos and I’d your components. We can help a lot seeing you system in it’s venue.

The move from the Exact MM Cart' to the Aria Pro MC Cart', will undoubtedly bring a new presentation, the Styli alone on the MC, will have a significant impact on how the replay is presented.

Note: Ogura Vital Styli, are quite reduced and really are best used with meticulously Clean LP's, if a typical longevity of usage is to be attained.

I am not familiar with your Phonostage, but can assure you the Phon' in general, as a device, is capable of elevating a Vinyl LP Source to levels of performance that are extremely impressive. The hurdle for the end user, is that there are quite a range of presentations on offer, even from circuits that are produced from quite similar Topologies.

If the usage of Vinyl is looking to be a Keeper, seeking out the Keeper Phon' is well worth taking the time to learn more about. My suggestion is to arrange a few demonstrations of SS, Valve/Hybrid and All Valve, to get to the design that really gels with your unique preferences. From this point on, it is a case of Turnover of experiences of your preferred circuitry, the correct one will be discovered.

So far, no encouragement to spend on equipment, but there is a place where you could direct a little money.

A TT when mounted in a manner that is correcting the impact on it, from the environment the TT is set up in, can prove to be extremely beneficial, and if changing from a usual mounting method, that can transfer unwanted energies to the TT,  to a bespoke thought-out mounting method that reduces / isolates the TT environmental impact, the differences that can be perceived in the SQ / Presentation, can be perceived as if there is a New and much improved TT in the house.            

Many folks prefer the SUT option. Personally, I've been really happy with well-built phono stages. You could go up the Vincent chain and check out the PHO-701. I've used that one and love it. Lehmann is another brand I really enjoy. Anyway, in my experience, I find the phono stages with multiple load options for MC carts an excellent way to go. Like the PHO-701, it has many detailed adjustments via DIN switches ranging from 99-1000 ohms, so you can really dial in the sound.