New TT, Arm and MC Cartridge

Excellent move.  Lots of luck in your search and enjoy the music. 

Reminds me to go hug my lovely of just 31 years. Do it ! God bless you man and my prayers for oeace grace and her smiling down on ya spinning records…

Sorry for your loss, but I think that your response is splendid.

I use the TransFi Terminator tonearm, a hybrid air bearing / mechanical pivot linear tracker. At $1000 or so it's the best value in high end - I don't think you can buy a better one for less than the price of a new car. The best thing about it is its adjustability, which is the only way to get the best out of any cartridge.

Actually, I use two of them - one on a Nottingham Analogue upgraded to Dais specification for Mono (Mayajima Zero), and a DIY air bearing monster (Koetsu Patinum).

Good luck!

The key to a successful life is learning how to have fun in spite of it and that is exactly what you are doing and I am sure your wife would be proud. 

Good choice as long as you have a good sturdy place to plant it. Stick with the Satisfy Kardan arm. I owned a Talisman V2. It is a bit on the bright side especially when new but it is an excellent tracker. It will smooth out after a few hours but will always sound a little thin. If you have high frequency hearing loss this may be an advantage. This is a good cartridge for classical and acoustic music. The cantilever hanging out in the breeze always makes me a little nervous. If you are a Rock and/or Jazz fan the Charisma is a better choice. It has the detail of a moving coil cartridge with unmatched bass and slam. This cartridge's dynamic performance is awe inspiring. It is also high output so you get a better signal to noise ratio. The cantilever is also nicely tucked away where clumsy fingers can't get to it:-)

I think you have the right idea in buying from a dealer you have a good relationship with.  Let them set it up in your home and deal with any issues that come up later.  Definitely less choices, but also less headaches if something goes wrong.