get vinyl rig or audio aero capital

If you buy the Capitole used, you will be able to sell it at almost no loss it it doesn't work out. Being an owner of the Mark II, I doubt you will be selling it. In your post you imply that you don't listen all that much to your vinyl collection and it is obvious your direction is toward digital(1,200 CDs...). Invest in the direction you are going. This does not mean you can't have a turntable for the occasional playing of vinyl.

The Audio Aero is a very fine piece of equipment. I use it for my CDs and I use the DAC for 2-channel HT. I also use the toslink connection through which I route my 5-disk Yamaha CD player when I don't want to bother changing CDs.

Again, do with your direction which you say to toward your CDs.

UncleJeff - yes the resale on an Audio Aero is a big plus
and I also do 2 channel home theater so using the dac end on my dvd player would be a good use

I do have some rather nice vinyl
particularly Japanese pressings played once (taped to Nak)
most of my stellar 70's - 80's music that I still play a lot

old Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Bowie, Roxy, Costello, Crimson, Eno etc

I've been reluctant to play these unless I have an analog setup that won't degrade them (the B&O is why bother)

tom

Tom,
You have a pretty good CD based source, a very fine line stage, even with only 300 LPs, I think it makes sense to seek a decent LP source. An old used Denon is not the ticket based on the rest of your system. The ARC PH2 is an awesome phono stage but the BAT P5 or P10 are as well.....and they are balanced as well. You should be able to find something to fit well with the LS5 here for $1000-1500 or so. As for the TT itself, there are great great deals on Sotas, Oracles and Well Tempered in the $1500 range that will give you a mighty fine start to fit with the rest of your system.
John

no neccessity to buy capitole.
in reality it's not the best value player available on the today's market. spare capitole fund to some descent analogue along with good value cheap player such as NAD541 or Cambridge D500.

Of course everyone on the Analog forum will suggest you get a turntable vs. an Audio Aero --> What else would you expect? I've owned all or most of the high end CD players out there and after introducing analog into my system, I find the notion that ANY of the top CD players are somehow "analog like", just plain silly.

Once you hear a decent turntable / cartridge you will immediately realize just how "un-analog-like" most any CD player truly is. There is one digital solution that somehow comes closer than any of the top CD players and that is a Meitner BiDat with all the latest (2003) mods. Its not as magical sounding (artificial) as the top players but it somehow does something right which makes it the ONLY choice for redbook digital right now. A used BiDat will set you back 600 ---> 900 bucks depending on the Mods. Pair that with your TEAC or other transport and forget digital. I wish I could tell you how/what/why the BiDat is so "right" its very difficult to describe.

Then.. get yourself a turntable. But which one?

I have recently done a lot of comparison between a Linn LP12 and many other tables. Most notably, I compared the Linn with Shelter 901 to a SME 20 with Koetsu Urushi. While the SME was more refined, controled, precise - it was also somehow mediocre sounding, somewhat borring, and un-lively when compared to the Linn. The Linn sounded "sloppy" compared to the SME but.. somehow was more fun to listen to - it's an odd paradox indeed. How can the SME be so borring yet be better? I guess its how you base judgement and discover what matters to you most. Surgical precision or lively fun music. I could guarantee that non-audiophiles would appreciate the sound of a Linn/Shelter 901 more than the sound of a SME/Koetsu but is that really saying something? For the extra money, the SME may be worth it to some folks but truth is, the Linn is a great table and could save analog newbies thousands while providing massive amounts of enjoyment in the world of analog as they are the best bargain going for "entry level" tables.

So to break from the norm of the Analog Forum, let me suggest you get yourself a nice digital rig. Whether that's the AA or something else it is up to you. Then sell your existing digital stuff to buy an "entry level" turntable. You'll be surprised at how much better that entry level table sounds than your top-of-the-line digital.