Gary, I will second John's (Jafox's) recommendation of the Aesthetix Rhea or the Aesthetix Io Signature if you only want to do this once. The Io Signature sells for $9000 new and they occasionally are sold used for around $5000. (The standard Io MkII sells for about $6500 new.) The Rhea sells for about $4000 new and around $2800 used.
The Io will provide 82db of gain through three all-tube gain stages. The Rhea delivers about 75db of gain. Sound quality is stunning, with commensurate sonic improvements moving from the Rhea to the standard Io MkII to the Io Signature.
You've made a very significant investment in your turntable, tonearm and cartridge. As others have suggested, the phono stage is really the most critical element in achieving the sound quality you're striving for: don't shortchange yourself at this point.
Best wishes in your analog journey!
The Io will provide 82db of gain through three all-tube gain stages. The Rhea delivers about 75db of gain. Sound quality is stunning, with commensurate sonic improvements moving from the Rhea to the standard Io MkII to the Io Signature.
You've made a very significant investment in your turntable, tonearm and cartridge. As others have suggested, the phono stage is really the most critical element in achieving the sound quality you're striving for: don't shortchange yourself at this point.
Best wishes in your analog journey!