KAB 1200 vs. everything else.

Folks, some of you are proposing spending more money...more expensive
phono preamp, more expensive table...

Not gonna do it.

I have a silver disc player worth $2500 that is superior to the
$4500 vinyl rig. Why would I dump more money into vinyl playback in an
attempt to make it equal? As I own no vinyl that cannot also be purchased on
CD, it makes no sense to spend more than double on vinyl playback.

Piedpiper, I'm going to assume you would be thinking of replacing the
Technics arm with a Rega arm as others have done. If so, the jury is out
whether that combo is better than the KAB Technics or not, but there's no
question that it'd be different.

Tearing apart the Technics would destroy its resale value for those interested
in a KAB Technics, so I'd rather keep it intact.

Since no table/arm/cart alternative at the $1800 price point has been
mentioned, I'll assume what I own is good for the investment, and I'll move
on from here.

Tvad, I just read through this thread , I am a little confused with some dollar figures mentioned for your table and cd player.
$6,500 cd player and $4500. for your table mentioned 12-25-08.
Is the $2500 and $1800. mentioned above used currant market value for your front ends?

Speaking for myself, putting all my effort into one play back format and sticking with it is best.

FWIW, I think you've optimized your $1800 quite wisely.

$6500 (retail of digital player). $2500 current used value.

$4500 retail value for entire analog front end, including phono preamp.

$1800 (retail value of Technics SL1200 MK II and KAB mods + used value of Dynavector XX MK II cart)

I think it's your APL-modded 3910 that is skewing the paradigm. I just read this A-gon review of it and it's obvious that this digital rig breaks all the conventional rules on what redbook playback sounds like. I got into LP playback because I auditioned a DSD-encoded SACD vs. the original LP when played back on a $5500 Linn player, and the LP smoked it. My LP playback rig is similar to yours except I stayed with the AT150MLX and use a humble Cambridge 640P and a homemade TT platform. Still, most digital playback under $10K doesn't tempt me. This Technics/AT rig has no trouble trumping my similarly priced Sony ES CD/SACD player.

So I think a significant element in your dilemma is that your digital source is an over-achiever, maybe even an anomaly among digital playback systems in its price range that upsets the conventional paradigm of digital vs. analog.