Have EMM cdp and DCC2 - what turntable to buy

IMO, there is no question you can top the performance of your EMM Labs digital gear with an analog front end. As good as the Meitner gear is - and it is the very best digital front end I have personally ever heard - a top notch analog front end is, to my ears, in another league.

I am very pleased with my current analog rig, which consists of the latest model VPI TNT, the SME IV tonearm and the Dynavector XV-1s cartridge. Some ideas in higher end turntables that meet your "low maintenance" criterion are the Brinkmann Balance and Lagrange, the Simon Yorke S7, and the SME 30/2. I believe all of these could likely give you what you are looking for.

Their is a Nottingham Dais and SME V combo for sale (I have no cennection) that would be tough to beat for the used dollars.
I've owned the Meitner combo and currently own the Dais with 12" Anna combo

I would hold off until right after CES. There is a new turntable coming out that will be launched at the show. It should be incredible! Sorry I cannot say more.

Dear Macallan25: +++++ " It would be my first TT " +++++

How many LP's do you own?, here the software is really important too.

Btw, I agree with Cincy about the cartridge and tonearm. For the TT: Acoustic Signature, Verdier, SME or Basis.

+++++ " a top notch analog front end is, to my ears, in another league. " +++++

I agree with, at least with Redbook.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

After reading many posts on this site, it seems to be the consensus of opinions that a high quality turntable will beat the best digital gear including the Meitner. I respectfully disagree, after listening with my system as follows: VPI Scoutmaster, with a Clearaudio Discovery cartridge which has a Thor Audio Phono stage, Thor Audio TPA 150 watt Monoblocks, Quad 988's, and on the digital side a Cary 306/200 which I use as a transport, with a Thor Audio Dac, I can say that on identical music, the digital cd side wins 8 out of ten times. I know that I am in the minority on this one, but with a quality CD/Sacd
the music has more depth, more dynamics than with my turntable and my phono stage by Thor Audio which is top notch, and so is my Linestage by Thor Audio really super. I just find the CD sound superior. Now in the interest of getting better turntbale sound I was thinking about spending another $3000.00 and upgrading to the Super Scoutmaster, with the new JMW-9 arm, but now I am in for $5500.00 with a nine inch arm. I might be better waiting until I can spend $5000-$6000.00 on another table with a 10-12 inch arm. Supposedly the longer arm yields better performance. Either my didgital performance is super or my turntable performance just doesn't do it for me. Any comments would be appreciated.