Do I buy an upscale TT?

There are world class turntables based on idler arm, sprung, and unsprung. Personally, unless one is strongly rewarded by nostalgia for a youthful experience or reproducing a “sound” from your history, it makes no sense to buy old tables. The formula has not been lost. But the available tooling and parts as well as designs have leaped forward over the last fifty years. Especially around the turn of the century there was a huge advancement in turntables.

I would recommend taking advantage of new technology. The Tri-Planar is a very well respected tone arm… I would recommend using it on a contemporary turntable. Go listen to some high end tables. 

Go for it!

You only live one!

Go for it!

You only live one!

+1

I have found tables to make an enormous difference in sound. Obviously not just the table though, it's the whole rig from the table to the arm to the cartridge as well as the phono stage. Like any other component tho, different units will have different signatures. As someone else said, what was the 50k table and it's constituent parts? I'd say I less it was a Garrard that's not the way I'd go. I know there's a whole cohort or people that love idlers but if you look at current technology, idler isn't it. Take the Thorens for example. The original version of that table was an idler but when they resurrected it they made it a direct drive. I'd say that the DD technology has come a long long way and is as good as or better than many belt or idler drives. I have a brinkmann Bardo and it's absolutely amazing. 

In the end, what I'd say is try and listen to some high end analog rigs and see what YOU like before dropping 10k or more

@mglik you have a very nice system. Whether the Commonwealth or the tricked out 401 are better than what you have will be very much down to the details of their builds, how far they have been taken. Hard to know on paper.

Do you feel your table/arm/cart are setup to a high level? I know that's a hard question to answer. Its possible setup could account for some difference. 

 btw what table / arm / cart / phono blew you away? Just curious :)

Lastly, and I see you have fondness for idlers, which I totally understand, have you heard good direct drive ?