SACD vs Analog

That throws an entirely different light on component considerations. IMO, it would be good to consider a VPI Classic 2 with an AT-OC9ML/II cart. That will come in right at $4K and provide really excellent quality music vinyl reproduction. (It's NOT about sound, it's about the quality of the music experience.)

As others have said, it would be a good idea to do some serious listening to vinyl before you take the plunge. It is a tweaky source to get the best results, but IMO, those results are worth it.

(It's NOT about sound, it's about the quality of the music experience.)

Many/most who venture into analog just for a trial run, just to see if it can really better their existing high quality digital player are actually looking for "sound" and not "experience". The first few months are enough to either put them off or convert them as believers. The hunt for great "sound" is quite common in digital domain and one who is coming from it would not want to give up great sound to experience better music many a times. Resolution is the name of the game in digital after all. So a vinyl setup which can truly beat top quality digital playback (which OP has) in all ways and actually make a digital guy an analogue convert has to be a very good one IMO. $4k is just okay to start with but nothing even close to serious in analogue domain. I have seen people who start with low budgets in analogue, actually miss the analogue bus forever because they hear less resolution than a average DVD player and add to that so much more hassles. They never know what a good analogue is all about, they dont even care to know after this.

IMO, a well restored EMT 938 from one of the EMT engineers would be a great start. It comes with its matched tonearm, cartridge and phonostage, all of them of very high quality with almost plug n play nature. Here are some links where it is available:
http://www.jpvanvliet.nl/58160.html
http://www.emt-profi.de/index-b.htm
http://www.fabtech.de/en_emt-turntables_emt938.html

Too many times I heard Redbook CD's that are better than their SACD counterparts

To match the ease of use of your EMT

IMO, a well restored EMT (938) from one of the EMT engineers would be a great start.

This is truly an excellent idea.The whole thing is as near plug & play as one can get.
Re, new TT, the above are all good choices as are the TT&arm packages from Clearaudio.
But the big EMT have the phono equalizer as well.

I would agree that all of the above TT combos will outperform the sacd.
And, to state the obvious: check that the noises inherent in analogue reproduction are acceptable to you.
As a side issue, I have very few pops in very many of my records.

A friend of mine who has the EMT 938 with EMT 929 tonearm and TSD-15 cartridge tells me that this turntable doesnt react to isolation platforms, it sounds the same no matter where you keep it and it is dead silent in the grooves unless the record is really really damaged. How cool is that ?