I would dump the turntable. Buy a pro-ject classic evo and a hana el cartridge (crazy good for $475) or both the goldring eroica lx and Denon 103. Alternatively, buy a Music Hall mmf-7.3 with pre-installed ortofon 2m bronze. Then grab a pro-ject tube box ds2, a killer tube stage for a grand...go look at the reviews. It slays stuff costing much more and has all the adjustments you would ever need. Lastly, buy an apollo turntable shelf, built like a tank in the UK. If you want to throw money away on a 5k phono stage, go right ahead....there are plenty of phono stages available for a grand that are fantastic. Another would be the Tavish classic @ $699. Even the tavish adagio is only $2500.
I speak from actual experience, as I own all the above, with exception of the adagio. You will need to spend 10k or far more to get significantly better analog sound. One last thing I forgot to mention, I would highly recommend the Jensen Mc 2rr step up transformer for the both the Hana el and Denon 103 cartridges. It is an amazing SUT for $599. The Jensen has a built in load of 430 ohms, perfect for both cartridges. Also, use dedicated low capacitance short run phono cables such as those made by Atlas cables or Rothwell. I use .5 meter lengths.
I speak from actual experience, as I own all the above, with exception of the adagio. You will need to spend 10k or far more to get significantly better analog sound. One last thing I forgot to mention, I would highly recommend the Jensen Mc 2rr step up transformer for the both the Hana el and Denon 103 cartridges. It is an amazing SUT for $599. The Jensen has a built in load of 430 ohms, perfect for both cartridges. Also, use dedicated low capacitance short run phono cables such as those made by Atlas cables or Rothwell. I use .5 meter lengths.