The Best $10,000.00 Table + Cartridge

You have to be nuts including a VPI Aries 3 in a $10K turntable/tonearm/cartridge combination.

Yikes!

i'm somewhere in with jazdoc. you can go a LOT of ways though. The vintage route is getting over priced but then so is the high end route. You could get a thorens 124 and a 3009 arm and a custom plinth too. I would reccomend a galibier as thom nt only builds great stuff but is good at finding things in your price range to help out.

the vinyl one is a cool stage but not for everyone!

This is pure speculation, but I think it's a fun concept to contemplate:

How about:

KAB-modified SL1200 Mk2 ($475) plus outboard PSU ($250), threaded record clamp ($149), strobe disabler ($50), and Isonoe Feet ($175) = $1099. This provides a very quiet, speed-stable platform.

Tonearm: Origin Live Technics armboard ($89)
Origin Live Conqueror Tonearm ($4285)

Dynavector XV1-S ($4500) and a perfect 10 Hz resonance match

=$9973.

Actually, I'm sure that there is a big range of carts from, say, the $1195 Cartridge Man MusicMaker to the $5K range of MC carts that could sing with this combo.

And don't forget to oil the motor bearing and slap on a better mat, anything from a Herbies to a Boston or Audio Technica AT6278.

Audiofiel is as it again...

LOL - Audiofeil, I luv ya, but how bout a bit more elaboration?