Congrats Babyz on the linn. But you will over time, because as you say, you are new to hi fi, find that you can indeed get better for more than $1,500 for a turntable arm combo. The trick is to find the best for the lease amount of your hard earned $$$$$ ,if you can't afford a Rockport. It is a great time for vinyl playback. The cost is comming down because of the tech. advancements. I think now you can get very close to world class in the 3 to 4k range.
Roni
Roni