Upgrade Path Decided. Turntable Is First. Suggestions Welcome

[FreddieFerric]

It's been a year now since I built out the existing audio room. While it's been fun and I've enjoyed many quite hours listening to my old favorite vinyl, the time has come to recognize the inevitable... Upgrading, like evolution, must happen.

First, change will be in the front end and that entails a new turntable. Now, not being completely soaked with money, I have to adhere to a rather tight budget of around $2,000.

My leaning is to the Marantz TT 15S1 that comes complete with the Clearaudio Satisfy arm and Virtuoso Ebony MM cartrigde. I've read numerous reviews that this combo/package is really tops for the money ($1,599). Still, I've also been looking at the more basic level VPI tables, but of course, for a bit more money and no cartridge. While I do have a pretty decent Audio Technica AT 150MLX on my existing table that I could migrate to a VPI, I half believe that going with a new TT should also include a new direction in cartridges too.

My criteria is simple...get the best sound for the dollar spent. To that end, I'd welcome rational suggestions that keep things to my budgeted limitations.

After all, I still have 2 new speakers to decide on and a pair of monoblocks too, (although it's going to be very hard to disuade me from the PrimaLuna Prologue Seven's).

The last thing to get replaced will be the Marantz Integrated which I can use as a nice pre-amp in the interim.