Want to add vinyl to my system.

A couple of other turntables recommended to me are the Mark Levinson 5105, EAT C Sharp, and VPI Prime.  Any thoughts on these models?

I can only but agree with mijostyn.

I am a record collector from the 70s, have reduced my collection to around 1200 or so now.

I would not bother with vinyl now if strarting from scratch. I had a superb vinyl setup, kuzma XLDC, 4pt, Atlas, Ypsilon phono. Eventually my digital caught up with the vinyl, unless playing mint analogue albums or some audiophile recordings (still marginal gains) digital was as good sometimes better. Most new LPs are from digital recordings, it also seems a lot of the recent MoFi productions are from DSD files!

What this person said. I have a P6 decent phono stage but only couple hundred albums. But I have worked my digital front end up to where it sounds almost as good and sometimes better than vinyl. This is budget is where I must live.

Given the storage complications and the cost of new vinyl releases and even the cost of used I would not recommend the path. Streaming/file/disc technology only getting better. It is the future.

Note: Especially given what ROON has to offer.  Like walking into a virtual library of music at your finger tips. 

rsf507

and how much does a "great digital system" cost?  My impression is a $2k CD player/DAC might be great to some, while for others, it will take a $20k investment to actually be great digital that is comparable or better than crackling popping  analog.

@jymc Can you elaborate on your Post.

Are you suggesting that it takes others $20K's Worth of Digital Equipment to produce a Digital Source that compares to a Vinyl Source of which value ?

Is your own experience that you have discovered a Digital Source for $2K, that will impress a group, is this discovery also suggested to be a rival to a Vinyl Source to which Value ? 

@pindac

I am not attaching a dollar figure as the basis for ranking any vinyl or digital systems. I’m certain we both know owners of $2k systems that believe they’ve found the holy grail, and the same goes for those with $20-$30k systems. Regardless, with that said, how many people in either the high or low priced groups, are truly trained listeners with a technical basis for being capable of objectively evaluating the "better or worse" definitions. Conversely, I’m absolutely certain these same people, generally, have strong (emotional?) opinions about the the gear they like and dislike.

In my experience, I have found two digital players that produce sonic characteristics unbelievably close to analog tape masters. These particular redbook CD players happen to be priced at $10k and $20k. I, personally, am hard pressed to find a significant difference between these two players. Both players have a non-feedback analog output stage powered by a tube PSU. Speaking for myself (remember I’m using MY EARS), I know of no other CD player that has similar analog characteristics.

The vast majority of CD players out there simply cannot compete on a comparative analog level with well assembled vinyl systems, and that includes some $20k plus SACD players I’ve listened to extensively.....not saying they sound horrible, but they do emphasize all characteristics, GOOD and bad, of the traditional digital we grew up with.  As for vinyl, I cannot reasonably address  comparative price categories of vinyl systems given the complex required synergies involving, TT, TA, cartridge and phono stage matching. I’ve heard decent $10k - $50k vinyl systems. I’ve also heard plenty of $100k plus vinyl systems that DO NOT blow away the more modestly priced ones!

Lastly, as for your last question about digital sources priced in the $2k range, there quite likely are players in the $2k price range that are listenable.  But for as many entry level players as I’ve heard, none in my opinion come close to producing the sonic characteristics of the two players I described above.  (I hope to purchase the $10k unit in the very near future.)