Barbara,
Good to see your focus is vinyl. I have extensive experience with this medium and am fortunate enough to hear most of the phonostages and some of the top carts out there. Considering where you came from and desire to improve I offer the following suggestions. Phonostage- Conrad Johnson EV1 (tube)- List price $1500 used ($800-$1000 if you can find) I have compared this with the big boy 15 premier and just could not open my pocket book to send the extra. This stage has 49 db gain, more than enough for any MM and handles most MC's down to 1mv. Another good unit is Quicksilver phono (tube) about 40 db gain (works with MM's) they also offer a transformer which increases gain about 20 db and works with all carts down to .25mv. ( cost new about $1000 for the stage and $450 for the transformer). Another great unit used is the pass aleph ono (SS), once plugged in and warmed up for 24 HOURS it sings and will hang with all but the very top (used approx $1000-$1300).
As to carts, what is wrong with used assuming you are buying from a very knowledgeable source. You are able to get much more cart for the $ than new. But in your price range for new The benz line and dynavector are very hard to beat for the $. I have used both lines and rank them amoung the best for the $. The dynavector XV-1 I rank as the best cart out there. Once you get a cart buy a wallytractor to set it up properly. That really makes a difference.
As to preamps- Conrad johnson (14, 17 etc) and the quicksilver linestage has remote and a $1000 price new.
Anyway, I hope this helps and that you are not to overwhelmed by all the inforamtion you will get. I have used each of the above mentioned items in a $70K system and they truley do not give up much to the top. But as you know or will know getting 90% of the way there is pretty easy that last 10% is a bitch and very expensive.
Good luck & be well
Good to see your focus is vinyl. I have extensive experience with this medium and am fortunate enough to hear most of the phonostages and some of the top carts out there. Considering where you came from and desire to improve I offer the following suggestions. Phonostage- Conrad Johnson EV1 (tube)- List price $1500 used ($800-$1000 if you can find) I have compared this with the big boy 15 premier and just could not open my pocket book to send the extra. This stage has 49 db gain, more than enough for any MM and handles most MC's down to 1mv. Another good unit is Quicksilver phono (tube) about 40 db gain (works with MM's) they also offer a transformer which increases gain about 20 db and works with all carts down to .25mv. ( cost new about $1000 for the stage and $450 for the transformer). Another great unit used is the pass aleph ono (SS), once plugged in and warmed up for 24 HOURS it sings and will hang with all but the very top (used approx $1000-$1300).
As to carts, what is wrong with used assuming you are buying from a very knowledgeable source. You are able to get much more cart for the $ than new. But in your price range for new The benz line and dynavector are very hard to beat for the $. I have used both lines and rank them amoung the best for the $. The dynavector XV-1 I rank as the best cart out there. Once you get a cart buy a wallytractor to set it up properly. That really makes a difference.
As to preamps- Conrad johnson (14, 17 etc) and the quicksilver linestage has remote and a $1000 price new.
Anyway, I hope this helps and that you are not to overwhelmed by all the inforamtion you will get. I have used each of the above mentioned items in a $70K system and they truley do not give up much to the top. But as you know or will know getting 90% of the way there is pretty easy that last 10% is a bitch and very expensive.
Good luck & be well