SledGend

Getting back into the spin and looking for a new turntable, and perhaps also cartridge. I tried to update my profile per my legacy gear and ran into issue (I sent a note to tech team), and until that's resolved I include my juicy bits: Turntable: Realistic LAB 440 Cartridge/Stylus: Shure V15VxMR PreAmp: Yamaha CX-1000 Amp: Yamaha MX-1000u Speakers: Polk SDA-1 Just recently wired up the above, and a few kinks not withstanding, was able to spin the wax and pump it through the speakers. At this point though, I'm pretty sure the LAB 440 has seen much better days, so I'll keep it as a Museum piece, and opt for a new table. The cartridge though, and vs. what's current, I'm not sure sure about the direction to take. I recall back in the day when buying a TT without a preinstalled cartridge, the TT cost was cost prohibitive (relative to my opinion), as was the cost of aftermarket cartridge. At my dysfunctional age, fairly certain my hearing wouldn't benefit from spending bunches on a new TT, and although I've not settled on a budget, I figure staying under $1k for TT and Cartridge are warranted, and my light web queries so far suggest that TTs in this range deliver with an installed cartridge. Considering my Shure V15, purchased around 1990 and although lightly used, imho will require a new stylus, how does the Cartridge (with new Stylus) stack up against todays alternatives? And assuming I buy an under $1k TT (that includes a cartridge), how do those choice stack up against my "old school" approach? Although it isn't quite as important as it was, I've always been a fan of Direct Drive with a Straight Tonearm, and I figure for my new TT, I'll still head in that direction, unless there are compelling reasons not to. Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for responding