Surprised at how turntable sounds

You have a lot of really good advice here. No one has mentioned breaking in the cartridge, probably because this one isn't worth messing with, bur any decent cartridge will sound better after 50+ hours of break-in.

I have a Pioneer PL-500 I found used, and added an Ortofon Blue cartridge. Low end by the standards here, but quite full and warm, which you say you want. 

I agree that the MacIntosh phono stage on my C20 doesn't sound as good as my outboard phono stage. What it does have is EQ for pre-RIAA formats, which would be useful if you have a collection of very early vinyl. That's of more interest to an historian than a modern-day audiophile!

Oops, meant Nagaoka cartridge.

@martinb, Welcome.

Firstly, the digital vs. analog arguments are silly.  Digital is a Pixar movie.  You can do ANYTHING.  And it is all fake, a reconstruction.  Analog is live action, subject to physical laws and constraints.

Analog is not for everyone.  It is for nerds that want to be close to the physical signal pathway and navigate physical constrains.  It is expensive -- a good system is only as good as its weakest component.  And, at a certain level incremental gains are to be had for increasingly copious amounts of cash. 

That is what makes this hobby so satisfying... for a certain type of person, that is.

My advice, having been in high-end audio for the past three years: save up for the GOOD system on the first (or second) try.  Stay away from the incremental upgrade path.  You will save money and not constantly be jonesing for "more".

My system is a Merrill design, his PolyTable, 12.7" tonearm -> Mutech Hayabusa MC cart -> Sutherland Vibe preamp -> Marantz Model 30 -> Wharfedale Linton 85s + Aperion ribbons + SVS-2000 sub (x1).  Pretty sweet setup, and I would put it next to a digital-only system any day.

The best system?  No.  Could it be improved?  Yes.  But does a recording of a live performance sound like a live performance in my living room?  Yes it does.  It is the best system for me, for what I am willing to spend.  It does not need equalization.  It plays exactly what is in the grooves.

It isn't a peeing contest -- it is what you like and what you want.  And with analog, your choices affect the sound.  You can influence it at a tactile level.

The hobby is not for the masses, but it can be genuinely rewarding.

Thanks much to everyone who's taken the time to be helpful.  I very much appreciate it and am starting to get some ideas.  The Denon turntable definitely will go back.  I might leave the credit I've got with Crutchfield and go where I can get something they don't have.  I'm leaning toward the Fluance and to avoid too much potential for $tep by $tep continuous upgrades I think I like the idea of the RT87.

I guess I'm absolutely turned off by the idea of paying for a turntable that's got stuff I don't want (like blueteeth) because it's got to be compensated for either by higher cost to me or something sacrificed to cover the cost to the manufacturer. 

I've got a question about the grounding connection that comes with some turntables.  Only some.  The Sonos doesn't have a ground connection point, and I'm wondering if that matters if the turntable has it and I can't connect it.  ?

I've got another component I built from a kit, but haven't needed yet for what I've been doing with this relatively new setup.  It's a tube based preamp, an Elekit 8550.  That eliminates the need for a preamp in the turntable, which would be another cost boost or quality drop.

ghedger42, I relate to a lot of what you said, like about having a setup that sounds like a live performance when playing a recording of one.  I haven't listened to one yet with the Dynakit monoblocks and B&W speakers but I'm looking forward to it.  I think that's a good test.  I can do it with the nas files now.  Then once I've got a decent turntable I can compare.  I'm looking forward to that!

FWIW, I recently bought the Audio Technica LP8X.  I have a belt drive turntable and an idler wheel drive turntable, so I wanted a direct drive turntable.  So far, I am impressed.  I know this is a Chinese OEM table, but it is built to a high spec.  I upgraded the included cartridge with the Audio Technica Shibata stylus.  It’s a very quiet turntable with full sound.  Clicks and pops seem minimized compared to my slightly modded Thorens TD166 Mk2 with Ortofon OM-40 pickup.  I also upgraded the power cord and replaced the cables with Pine Tree Audio cables.