(Sigh.) Good luck, Doug. As detailed and informative as psyprof1's instructions are, not wanting to deal with same is what helped me decide on the Pro-Ject Debut III turntable, which is equipped with an Ortofon OM-5E moving-magnet cartridge. Near the bottom of the line and yeah, I've already been thinking about upgrading, but boy, does it seem daunting.

Right now, the limited number of LPs I have sound pretty amazing, anyway: Last night, I compared a borrowed copy of the reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson's song "Wat About Di Workin' Class?" with its CD counterpart and couldn't believe my ears. Much more drum detail in analog; the stuttered rimshots on the LP sound like dull, mechanized thuds when rendered digitally. Overall, that and the rest of the tracks on the album, Making History, sound much less slick. The subtle, personal way the drummer syncopates the rhythms is audible, as are the bent notes on the track's B.B. King-inspired guitar solo. It's kind of fascinating to discover this stuff firsthand.