Turntable Advice Needed

I wanted to follow up on my purchase after having a chance to listen for awhile. Just to reiterate I purchased:

Dr. Feickert Volare
Jelco TK 850-S Tonearm
Delos Lyra MC Cartridge
Pro Ject Tube Box DS2 Phono Stage

To start, I went a fair amount above my original budget.  At the beginning, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.  During my research it became clear that there isn’t a smooth and direct correlation between an additional dollar spent and an equal amount of improved performance received. So I concluded that I needed to spend more than I originally thought to get some really upgraded performance. As it turns out I am really glad I did. The system sounds amazing. I’m not really proficient in all of the audiophile terminology but I am just really impressed with everything. I am hearing instruments and notes that I hadn’t heard before. Playing “Keith Don’t Go” from the Nils Lofgren Acoustic Live album just blew my socks off.  It felt like I was there. For me this is so much better than streaming although I still stream and still play CD’s. I am a believer in embracing all of the formats but I can definitively say that vinyl on this new system is my #1 choice.  It really allows me to just listen to the music which, after all, is the point of the whole thing.

Many thanks to everyone in this forum for their advice and ideas. They were invaluable.  Also, working with Upscale Audio was truly a pleasure. Kat and the rest of the team there know their stuff.

@puppyt Really good move as a Blackbird owner the Feickert tables are one the most neatral with a solid foundation to take advantage of any upgrades you make. I went from a Triplanar VII SE to a Thales Simplicity II tonearm and it was noticeable improvement. I just put on a Delos also, if you are on FB look up Dr Feickert USA and you will find my group just ask to join - Enjoy The Ride

I recently went through the same process for upgrading to my TT set up and eventually purchased a similar setup as the OP:

Dr. Feickert Volare
Jelco TK 850-S Tonearm
Hana MC Cartridge

The setup was more than what I was originally budgeted for but I am very happy with the decision to go with that direction. So far I have listened some of my records for only about 20 some hours and the experience is far more enjoyable than listening the same music/recording on my CDs. Similar to OP, I also purchased the setup from Upscale Audio and the same person, Kat, was very helpful to assist with the purchase. 

Ocean2059:

Great to hear about your purchase.  I’ve had my setup for about 6 months now and I am blown away by the performance of this turntable. It is so much better than anything else I’ve owned. I’ve had the exact same experience you have; I would much rather hear the vinyl version of most music rather than from CD or streaming. I still want to have those digital options but when I am just sitting down to listen (not doing something else at the same time) I much prefer vinyl. A couple of months ago I switched my integrated amp from the Plinius Hiato (a great amp by the way) to the PrimaLuna Dialogue HP Premium. I really like the tube sound with the Feikert.

Enjoy your new toys!!!

puppyt

@puppyt, I am so glad to hear that you're really enjoying your listening with the Dr. Feikert's TT. I fully agree that the Volare TT sounded real sweet and rounded with tube amp, as I am also using tube preamp and tube power amp (Doge Audio) for my system. Happy listening!