What is the rest of your system? Do you use exclusively phono or also spend much time with a digital source? If the answer is the latter, you should focus on the line stage, amp, interconnects, etc., which would benefit all your music playing.
What is missing from your musical enjoyment that you are looking to address? Is the system lacking extension at the frequency extremes, mediocre resolution and detail, the sound is dimensionally flat, etc.?
My experience for nearly 30 years has shown time and time again that the most critical cable link in the system is the IC between line stage and amp. I can dance cables around my system, but until I put every last ounce of performance at this link, all other cable expenditures make no sense. You have a lot invested in the AQ Thunder PC, and driving the TT motor I assume. Why? Don't believe the nonsense that the "best" of anything must always go the earliest stage of the system. Have you tried this PC into the phono stage or line stage? I see this AQ cable sells for $600-700 on the used market, or at least that is what they are listed for. My suspicion is that you are far away from spending this kind of money on a single PC until you refine other parts of the system for the next several years. I am a HUGE fan of putting a lot of $$$$ into PCs, and I have tried and owned some with great success and others quite embarrassing for their cost, but I would suggest you get rid of the AQ cable and put that money into other system refinements. Before you lock into any more AQ purchases, when the time is right, do some serious listening to the competition; you will be quite surprised. In the mean time, contact the Anti Cables guy and audition 3 or 4 of his PCs and drop them all into your system at once, listen many days. And then one by one, replace with a stock PC and make note of any differences at each link. If you have to strain to hear any benefits, you are not at a stage where thinking about PCs makes any sense.
If you're strapped for cash, and you want to try a mid-priced IC from line to amp and/or phono to line, keep your eyes out for the Cardas Golden Cross. This too is an old old cable. It lacks extension at the frequency extremes, and lacks low level resolution, BUT, its midrange colorations add a degree of musical enjoyment that you have to pay a lot more to get, but of course a boat load of refinements come along too with those higher-perf cables. The NBS and Purist cables of that same time continued on with much more of the CGC magic, but they too lack much of the refinements offered by some of today's ICs. I tried the top tier AQ ICs and they had good clarity but were dimensionally flat and thus, out they went. I suspect the CGC could knock your socks off at an affordable price if you have not tried them before. Absolutely, stay away from Mogami and Canare ICs; these are horribly dimensionally flat too.
As for phono cable benefit, from my experiences, this is the second most critical cable link. But there are so many horrible cables in this category that you have to be very careful before you commit your money. Keep your eyes out for the Silver Audio Silver Breeze phono cable. This is an old old model but they have to be out there from time to time. I had to spend nearly $2k for a Stealth cable to significantly beat the SASB cable. I suspect that the cable you have now will suffice.
One final thing, don't pay much attention to the synergy nonsense as this is nothing more than bandaging one component/cable with tonal coherency issues with another of complimentary issues.
Keep your eyes out for a used Shinon Red 1mv MC cartridge. I use one from time to time and these are amazing.
Good luck to you.
John
