Best Turntable/arm/cartridge system for $30k

Arwp,

It's not clear to me from the inforamtion you provided in your post alone that the digital source is the reason your system does not sound musical or involving to you. It could be anything from room acoustics to overall system synergy to some component in the pipeline not performing up to specs for some reason.

I'd make sure, if you are not already, all the ducks in your current system are in order before looking to an expensive vinyl system as the solution. It may in fact be one solution, but not necessarily the only one.

spend 25 on vinyl....5 on a combo

Dear ARWP: Money always help!!!!, but if this is really your first time with analog the first thing that you have to know is that analog source ( like a whole source ) is not ( far from there ) a plug-and-play source like the digital one.
So you have to learn ( very quick ) or to have someone ( audio dealer with the right know-how or an audio friend )to help you on the right whole set-up.

The second point is to have " software " ( LPs ) to play with. If you don't have it then you have to start to buy and develop a good collection with the kind of music you like.

Third point can be to conform your analog source and my advise is to go not with an entry level one but with something better.

Thinking on TTs: Galibier, Acoustic Signature, Raven, SME are some names that comes to my mind.

Tonearm/cartridge: I like the Dynavector XV-1s ( but other people likes other cartridges too ) and you can mate it with a Triplanar or a Phantom tonearm but you can choose the MM cartridge alternative too where there are several cartridge options ( like the MC alternative ).

If you choose ( example ) for the XV-1s that is a low output MC cartridge IMHO it will be best " served " for an active high gain Phonolinepreamp ( no step-up transformers ) that you have to buy too.
Here ( like you say ) try to find the " best " because is in the phono stage where the cartridge signal pass to a " severe " process that makes a degradation to the cartridge signal.
So, you want to add the less and lose the less on that cartridge signal to be nearer /truer to the recording.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

don't know about the "best", but this should be a safe bet.

TW Acustic Raven AC
Graham Phantom
cartridge of your choice
Einstein phono stage

new retails around $30k, you can get them for less in used market.

Arwp, fly to San Francisco and hear the Shindo Labs vinyl system, including their turntable, arm, and cartridge. You will get away with about a third of your money.