Next upgrade for vinyl rookie

VPI 16.5 definately! Biggest difference in sound and will last forever!

Maybe I can sell my P2 table, use that money plus what I have saved so far and buy the Linn Sondek LP12. What could I get for my table? How big of difference would swapping out tables be compared to a OL arm upgrade?

How big of difference would swapping out tables be compared to a OL arm upgrade?

Do you not know that the stock 250 is already better than the P2? Sell the arm with the table (b/c it won't sell without it), and maybe keep your accessories depending on what you choose as your next table. I don't think the LP12 is a good choice for a rookie, maybe a used P25.

I think that you have a really nice rig going there. The table and cartridge is quite fine. If not a record cleaning machine, as described above, I would suggest a new phono preamp, perhaps a black cube or Monolithic. I base this suggestion on the experience that solid state distortions from electronics, particularly phono stages and preamps, are far more irritating to me than the inherent distortions in transducers. I have spent some time with the Project phono stage and it is not letting through all of the analog glory of your front end.

Doing some Tweeks like some mentioned above are a good idea before dishing out more money. Do you have a proper alignment tool? If not, getting the cartridge aligned is the first stop before passing judgement on your current setup.