Interface: Cartridge-Preamp or Cart-Tonearm?

Dear Syntax, the logic of your reasoning is strange. If one
can afford an 'top Phonostage' then he probable can also afford the 'top' of the rest. Your argument looks academic
to me.

Regards,

Dear Nandric,
the normal discriminated Audiophile saves some money to get something he wants. When he bought it, he saves money for the next, step by step. I don't know many audiophiles who bought a top analog System in a very short time. The definition of "top" also gives lot of room for endless discussions. A outstanding Phonostage which amplifies the signal without adding electronic fingerprints, distortions, colorations is even today very rare. There are a lot of them out there, but at the end of day, only very few are really outstanding.
Same with Arms and Turntables. Cartridge is not such a big deal.
Each his own of course. when I started in the 90's as a poor Student I compared a lot in Dealer Demos, friends Systems and I also had good knowledge in my area (Record collectors). Even when I had a simple Roksan Turntable for 1.5k (complete with Arm and cartridge) I had a 6k Phonostage for it. Never had frustrations. Always a System where my guests had no hurry to leave.

Interesting to note the conversation has moved from the stylus end in Tobias' post to the phono stage in Syntax's post. Mechanical vs electrical.

I think there is much I would agree with Syntax on his approach. Knowing what bits I've learned and what I like, this would be a very fast progression of upgrades from there on out to the cartridge, but they would be done once and over with. Critically damped, so to speak. :-) But I can't help but feel that which end one starts with is dependent on what that someone may be more comfortable debugging. Most people seem to be mechanically intuitive, so I think one has to have some level of listening sophistication with electronics for this approach to work.

Dear Syntax, I got it. Something like buying an Rolls Royce
then sleeping under some bridge for,say, 10 years till all
the savings allow to buy a home for both.

Regards,

Used Rolls is not that expensive, cheaper than many stereo systems that people here have. Not cheaper than mine though. And the service would cost you dearly; but they last for at least fifty years so it might be worth it.