Advice for a new analog system


Hello everyone and thank you in advance for your advice.

I have made the decision to venture into the magical world of vinyl.
I was considering a VPI Avenger Direct (round 34K) turntable and CJ or Audio Research phono preamps.
As a cartridge I have in mind the Clearaudio Davinci.
I have been doing some research on Agon and apparently there are a lot of users who don't like VPI and considering the investment in the turntable I imagine there must be many options. 
I prefer the short cut of a single investment for life.
My system is Mc C1100, mc 1.25Kw and Dynaudio Evidence Platinum speakers.

What turntable and system would you recommend, I appreciate your advice.

 

ftrot

I thank you all for your comments and suggestions, different points of view, all valid and very useful. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences and advice, this allows me to investigate and discern, which makes this experience fabulous. I will continue to pay attention to the following comments. @solypsa I've actually started collecting the records and it feels good! thanks for your suggestions! @pindac Thanks!

@ftrot There is a minefield to get through, you are willing to part with serious funds.

Helping you to consider some of the things worth thinking about is the intention. You are a prime candidate to be coerced into a particular way of thinking as the retail side of this business can do that really well.

A 'mark' like yourself, with a need for knowledge with such a Budget, is in a precarious place.

This years Holiday has to be paid for, an individual like yourself, could supply the readies to charted a Superyacht.

My descriptions given are to help you get on route to the Short Cut of Single Investment for life. 

At present I will not recommend to you products, I will comment on products I have had direct experience with, or products I know where there is a potential to recieve a Trusted assessment as report from a user experience.

I am quite familiar with a Glanz MH 1200s used on a Direct Drive TT with a Miyajima Cart. The Arm certainly is not a device that creates a perception of being constrained in any way, it has a notable freedom and breathes life into the replays, it is in keeping with the Arm presentation I am interested in and is quite seaprated in it performance to arms I choose not to use any longer.

As an Ortofon Cart user on DD TT's, this Set Up wiith a Miyajima Cart' has a noticeable Body and a Strong Hint of Richness to my sensitivities, certainly not overbearing to my taste and certainly one that is an extremely attractive encounter.

Another with a want for a Richness in a presentation, might see this Cart' with having a leaner presentation. 'Richness is in the ear of the Beholder' each has their own threshold for what is bearable before it becomes unattractive.

@mulveling has proved to be good source to learn about how a Cart' . Their Broad Experience of Cart's in use, has enabled the sharing of Cart' models that can be identified with for the levels of Richness that can be detected.  

Additionally VAS NY Inc has a Facebook Page where there are Needle Drops presented in a video of the completed work they have done to Cartridges. Even though not ideal as a Audiophile Listen, there is enough on offer to determine where Richness is present or not as a result of a design for a Cart'.       

The STST Motus IIDQ has been referred to on another Thread and I have recently learned an individual based in Mainland Europe, who has possibly the most experience with Vinyl Replay Devices that I know off . This individual has been using a IIDQ since November 2022.

I am watching out for their updated reports on this TT's usage. Usually there is a period of use where a range of Arms and Cart's will be used along with the TT, it is then when there is great value to the assessments being made known. 

Whilst accumulating LP's if some are being sourced as used items, there are services supplying Used Vinyl that has been cleaned ultrasonically, in some cases in a Cleaning Machine that has a Multi $0000's purchase price. Having the best purified vinyl from the off set will bring a further satisfaction to a very good recorded used Album. 

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there is no way (OK, 1 in a 10,000) you will buy your first turntable for 30+K and get the best value. You need to train your ear, learn what you like, experiment with different types and approaches. 

I would start with a used Pro-Ject or Rega, different carts and figure out what you are missing, where improvements could take you

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I’m happy with my lesser VPI turntable and cartridge, but if I were to upgrade a component it would be the Fatboy arm.  I would probably go with a Triplanar arm.