(1) Get rid of your mixer. It sucks by audiophile standards and is holding back the rest of your system. The signal goes through way too many convoluted circuits before it gets to your amp. If your amp has a pre built in, why in God's name would you pollute the signal by sending it to the mixer? Stop.
(2) The 1200 series CD player wasn't too bad. It's not competitive anymore but that doesn't mean anything because it's still enjoyable for the right set of ears. Chances are the signal is so clouded by the mixer that you're not getting a true picture. Try it fed directly into your amp or through a good preamp.
(3) Get a good phono stage. Rotel, Bellari, Cambridge Audio, NAD and Pro-Ject make good models under $300. If you're using a DJ cartridge, replace it at the same time. The Denon DL-160, Ortofon 2M Red, Audio-Technica AT120ET all match well with the Technics.
Those changes, all of them, should cost you well under $1,000 and much less if you can use your amp's built-in preamp section or shop used.
As for CD players, good ones are cheaper than ever. Marantz, NAD, Rotel, Oppo and others offer very, very good units for as little as $200.
Good luck!
(2) The 1200 series CD player wasn't too bad. It's not competitive anymore but that doesn't mean anything because it's still enjoyable for the right set of ears. Chances are the signal is so clouded by the mixer that you're not getting a true picture. Try it fed directly into your amp or through a good preamp.
(3) Get a good phono stage. Rotel, Bellari, Cambridge Audio, NAD and Pro-Ject make good models under $300. If you're using a DJ cartridge, replace it at the same time. The Denon DL-160, Ortofon 2M Red, Audio-Technica AT120ET all match well with the Technics.
Those changes, all of them, should cost you well under $1,000 and much less if you can use your amp's built-in preamp section or shop used.
As for CD players, good ones are cheaper than ever. Marantz, NAD, Rotel, Oppo and others offer very, very good units for as little as $200.
Good luck!