Seeking turntable upgrade advice

Not trying to be disrespectful when I say this, but wasnt it you that had all these issues setting up your turntable in the first place ? And now that you have it setup properly(?), you want to change it again ????

Madfloyd,
I have corresponded with you on your table many times. I have the SSM Ref and I still think VPIs offer a lot for the money but I too am on the upgrade path and have narrowed my choices to the Galibier Stelvio and the TW Acustic Raven AC-3. I also plan to get the Tri-Planar and possibly the XV1s. Either table would work well with that arm and cartridge. TW has recently released a new reference table (Black Night)which features arms boards that allow VTA to be adjusted on the fly. Although it's $40,000 price tag puts it out of the range I can justify, this armboard will be available for the downstream tables as well at some point. I'm not sure VTA on the fly is a feature I really need so I'm also very intrigued by the Galibier line.
I'll be auditioning both brands in the coming months and I guess I'd recommend looking into them if you haven't. I see-saw back and forth between the two depending on the day. Currently I'm leaning Galibier's way again but hopefully auditioning will clear this all up.
I hear you've also recently purchased a Doshi preamp which is another upgrade I'm looking at. I've also long been intrigued by the Allnic products(esp. now that Albert Porter is digging them compared to much more expensive pieces he's had).
So it seems we're moving in similar directions although you did choose the Sophias over the 5As. I, for one, will be interested in what you find. Keep us all posted.

Riley804: You're absolutely right. I had a ton of issues when I first got into analog. It wasn't just related to my TT though - my first cartridge was whacky as was my Rhea (which had to be repaired). For a long while I wasn't happy, but over time I've learned a fair amount and lately I've been enjoying analog a lot; I just feel I'm not getting the full benefit of my cartridge with the arm I have.

Sonofjim: I hear the 5As often as a friend of mine has a pair. I adore them to be honest - they just wouldn't work out for me in my room (I move my speakers between HT and 2 channel mode and the 5As aren't conducive to that. I am very happy with the Sophia's as a compromise. I recently switched to the latest line of Pass amps and am very happy with them (XA 100.5's).

I did try to purchase a Galibier but finally gave up (I think Thom is just too busy). I too am interested in TW, and while I have yet to locate a dealer for them, I have a hunch they may be out of my budget. I recently visited a friend who had an SME setup and it sounded wonderful. I didn't know analog could be that quiet.

In any case, I'm looking to find a good table that I get my hands on sometime soon (as opposed to 6 months from now).

Regarding the Doshi: it's an impressive unit, but not for me. Mine is now for sale.

Go with a Galibier, you won't regret it.
Yes, you'll have to wait, but it's worth every penny (and minute of wait!).