Best Turntable/arm/cartridge system for $30k

Fly to Denver and audition a Galibier Stelvio at Galibier Designs.

If you have to "fly" anywhere......CES should be your only destination. IMO

Except at Galibier Designs you get one-on-one attention without the pressure of a room full of other people vying for the host's attention. You get to hear a system properly set up in a room that has been optimized, unlike a hotel room. You get to absorb the knowledge of someone who knows what he's doing and is happy to spend the time to educate you about analog in general, and about the products he builds and represents. You get to enjoy the Colorado mountains. Maybe you tie it together with a ski weekend.

One only has to study the Galibier website to see Thom is someone who goes the extra mile to impart information that enhances the understanding of vinyl set-up to anyone caring to read it. No strings attached.

There's an advantage to that scenario over CES. However, at CES you certainly get to see a lot of stuff, albeit not under the best conditions.

to answer your question directly is focusing in on the few who have invested close to this amount on an analog rig, i am not in that crowd. But if i had 30 grand to throw at a new analog rig, i would look at the avid acutus, airtangent arm, zyx universe cartridge and good phono preamp. The table might change to used forsell if i could demo it or a used walker (if i push the envelope on the other components).

Got to agree with Mapman here. If you can't do CD, you will never get vinyl to work. I second the suggestion to work on what you have first. Find that weak link or set-up mistake and fix it/them. This will give you a huge leg up on the vinyl journey.