Thanks for the responses guys! Much appreciated. Adam, I am going to be heading down to a few local shops to do some listening and see what I like. Just like w/ cigars I will be doing a fair amount of research before any decisions are made but it is nice to hear what people have used and liked. Gives me a basis of comparison
Pete, while I agree with you in theory I want both the experience of vinyl as well as the ability to listen to the variation in the music itself. Most vinyl enthusiasts mention the warmer sounds and more accurate soundstage when comparing vinyl to digital. I totally understand where you're coming from though. Most of my digital music is in FLAC or 320 format so I am always going for the high quality digital sound as well.