Analog vs. CDP: A fair comparison?

A Record doctor cleaning kit, a decca brush and a zerostat should surfice as a start(about$100.) I would spend most of the budget on the cartridge/phono stage. Used Well Tempered Table/arm combo usually sells used for $1100. I like the Dynavector P-75 phono stage, very versatile, you can use the cartridge of your choice. This should sound better than the Cary. There are many bargain cartridges in your price range to choose from, maybe a Shelter 501,Audio Technice AT-33PTG from Japan, Benz, Lyra, Denon, Dynavector,etc.

I disagree on the software concerns--vinyl is very abundant and can be much cheaper than CDs as used--just make sure you have a good record cleaning machine in this case. As far as specialty heavyweight vinyl pressings, they don't cost any more than specialty gold/remastered/diamond studded rewhatevered CD pressings and sometimes less. I also think the benefits are greater but then, I've never owned a really super high end digital rig.

There are a few issues you should consider: is the music you want more, as, or less available on vinyl than digital? Are you willing to go through turntable setup and periodic maintenance? Like the others have already brought up, how big is your digital collection and how will you play them? I would think it would make more sense to add a vinyl rig to your current system rather than replace your digital outright--unless I'm missing something?

Also, be warned that vinyl is different--better or worse is entirely up to you. Some people like me don't mind some pops and click in older records, others seems to have minor coronaries over it. By nature, records are inconsistent. New domestic pressings in particular are often a bit warped and sometimes pressing techniques are hardly impressive. Vinyl can be a mixed bag. Compact discs are at least physically more consistent--mastering jobs are of course a different story. If you plan to buy new domestic vinyl pressings or poorly stored old "garage sale finds," I would recommend you figure some kind of record warp correction into the turntable rig you choose. There are several option: vacuum platter systems as with SOTA, periphery rings, or standalone record flatters (I have zero experience with machines that purport to flat records but they are out there). Also make sure you have a good record clamp.

I am not sure if you are aware that you cannot play vinyl directly thought the Cary without a phono amp. You have to budget that in.

Agree one thousand percent with Onhwy61. Pawlowski, are you mainly an audiophile, or a music lover? 'Cause without a CDP and without a phonostage, you don't figure to be listening to much music in glorious sound, digital or otherwise, for a while here. And if all your budget is allocated to hardware for the near future, do you already have a waiting collection of records? Bottom line to me, as a guy whose record collection has always dwarfed his CD collection but who frequently listens to both, is that music availability trumps EVERYTHING. Play with different formats to expand your musical possibilities, not just to chase some received notion about 'better' sound...

Yeah, I can't imagine being without both CDP and vinyl. There's just too much great music out there. I do prefer the vinyl format if I can get it, but there is sooooo much great music out there that I just can't see putting that kind of limit on my choices. If you can find a way, keep the Cary CDP and find a way to add analog to your system.