SACD vs Analog

Whether one stands up for SACD over vinyl or not, SACD has one serious detriment, lack of program titles. The library on SACD is tiny compared to what one can find on vinyl. 33.3 goes back to the late 1940's, stereo LP's go back to the early 1960's. So be it SACD or not, vinyl rules in total library of recorded music.

Some people turn away from vinyl because they cannot abide clicks, pops, and surface noise. This does not have to be, but there is no free lunch. From new records to used, media care is a necessary condition of long term vinyl enjoyment. It's not really an option.

At the start, my suggestion is to include a record cleaning machine (manual or vacuum) and cleaning fluids (eg. AIVS) in your budget. If you are disinclined to clean each record (including new ones) at least once and/or the budget does not allow, then vinyl could turn into a disappointment.

If you're okay with the media fussiness and willing to tolerate a certain amount of newtonian level mechanical tinkering then "Living la Vida Vinyl" can be an Audio Joy like no other.
 

Jfrech, My line stage is ModWright LS36.5+PS36.5.
$4K is for analog front-end without phono.

That throws an entirely different light on component considerations. IMO, it would be good to consider a VPI Classic 2 with an AT-OC9ML/II cart. That will come in right at $4K and provide really excellent quality music vinyl reproduction. (It's NOT about sound, it's about the quality of the music experience.)

As others have said, it would be a good idea to do some serious listening to vinyl before you take the plunge. It is a tweaky source to get the best results, but IMO, those results are worth it.

(It's NOT about sound, it's about the quality of the music experience.)

Many/most who venture into analog just for a trial run, just to see if it can really better their existing high quality digital player are actually looking for "sound" and not "experience". The first few months are enough to either put them off or convert them as believers. The hunt for great "sound" is quite common in digital domain and one who is coming from it would not want to give up great sound to experience better music many a times. Resolution is the name of the game in digital after all. So a vinyl setup which can truly beat top quality digital playback (which OP has) in all ways and actually make a digital guy an analogue convert has to be a very good one IMO. $4k is just okay to start with but nothing even close to serious in analogue domain. I have seen people who start with low budgets in analogue, actually miss the analogue bus forever because they hear less resolution than a average DVD player and add to that so much more hassles. They never know what a good analogue is all about, they dont even care to know after this.

IMO, a well restored EMT 938 from one of the EMT engineers would be a great start. It comes with its matched tonearm, cartridge and phonostage, all of them of very high quality with almost plug n play nature. Here are some links where it is available:
http://www.jpvanvliet.nl/58160.html
http://www.emt-profi.de/index-b.htm
http://www.fabtech.de/en_emt-turntables_emt938.html