Want to get into Analog

Two things come to mind when reading this posts...

One, nostalgia and profit drive much of the comeback of analog turntables and vinyl. Much like the comeback of the Volkswagen Beetle and the Chrysler PT cruiser, auto manufacturers capitalized on the “I want the good old days again” mindset of middle aged consumers. When kinds were playing mom and dads records and turning away from CD or IPods, those sales of albums brought it back... which leads to my second thought.
Secondly, one MUST spend a very decent sum of money to begin to get good sound from turntable rigs. CD players are getting much better, streaming and digital downloads are offering hi-resolution files that sound very good and clean. Therefore a good turntable, cartridge, tonearm, phono preamp and record cleaner will cost you thousands of dollars to better digital sound. A vintage crappy turntable may come close but only if one really knows what to get and again you would spend a very good sum of money on a vintage Garrard 301, reconditioned or new.

I recently picked up a JVC QL-Y66F DD table with a Stanton 981 HZS cartridge for $545. Is it better than my digital sources (which isn't something the OP asked for by the way)? No.  Do the used records I buy sound really nice on it after a good cleaning? Yes! Do I get more enjoyment out of it than my digital sources? Yes! Is it more pleasing on the eyes than my CD player or DAC? Yes!

I have a more resolving belt drive table with a better cartridge and better phono stage that I play my best records on. It doesn't best my Marantz KI-Pearl CD player, but it's close.  For me there is some nostalgia involved, but I think more than anything else I get more involved in listening to records than digital sources.

I don't think everybody buys a turntable because they are trying to get better sound quality than their digital sources.  If the OP is looking for that with the budget mentioned then they may be disappointed, but if they're looking for a decent turntable in that price range they are out there to be had. Of course the definition of "decent" is subjective. 

**** Do I get more enjoyment out of it than my digital sources? Yes! ****

**** ....more than anything else I get more involved in listening to records than digital sources ****

Honest question: So, what exactly is it that, for you, still makes your digital sources “better”?

My Marantz CD player is more revealing and has "better" sound quality than any other source in my current system. 

I know what my problem is; "Nobody passed me the bong"; that's what it takes to get this romantic involvement with the "old-school" records and record players, that they now refer to as "Analog"; which said record players could be had for $200. new.

Frogman, "Do I get more enjoyment out of it than my digital sources? Yes! *"


BTW, Frogman has a TNT6 plus ET2 tonearm.


    https://www.vpiindustries.com/tnt6


    https://www.stereophile.com/content/eminent-technology-two-tonearm


Frogman says, "* ....more than anything else I get more involved in listening to records than digital sources ****"


I wonder why?