I'm one of the "geezers" on this site, and have been spinning LP's for more than 50 years, so I may not be the best person to respond. I've been playing LP's, and tweaking my analog front end, for so long that it's one of the most enjoyable aspects for me of the high-end audio hobby.
For many people, I think the decision on whether to buy a turntable, etc., depends on how much money you have to invest not only in a good analog front end (turntable / tonearm / cartridge / phone preamp), but also how much money you have to spend on buying LP's. A good analog front end, with phono preamp, will cost AT LEAST $2000-2500, and twice that much is not unrealistic.
The price of both new and used LP's is on the high side, and not everyone has the patience to set up and tweak the turntable/tonearm combo so it reaches maximum performance. If you are not absolutely convinced that you want to add analog playback to your system, you might be better served to spend the money on a really good SACD or DVD-A player and the appropriate recordings.
For many people, I think the decision on whether to buy a turntable, etc., depends on how much money you have to invest not only in a good analog front end (turntable / tonearm / cartridge / phone preamp), but also how much money you have to spend on buying LP's. A good analog front end, with phono preamp, will cost AT LEAST $2000-2500, and twice that much is not unrealistic.
The price of both new and used LP's is on the high side, and not everyone has the patience to set up and tweak the turntable/tonearm combo so it reaches maximum performance. If you are not absolutely convinced that you want to add analog playback to your system, you might be better served to spend the money on a really good SACD or DVD-A player and the appropriate recordings.