Went all analog / vinyl, I made a mistake

[Formerly YB-2]

Cannot beat vinyl for the best sound. I've purchased all the bits & pieces to do the digital thing, but I've yet to listen critically to a digital front end that doesn't tire me after an hour or so. I also enjoy 'the hunt' for old vinyl. Good-Will & 2nd-hand shops of all types generally have bins of old LPs. Most are uninteresting, but one can often come away with a few $1 LPs that make the 30min worth the effort. We are fortunate in having two of the very best vinyl stores within a couple of hours drive. A good record cleaner and you are generally in business with new tunes. Plus, swapping cartridges is a great way to get a bit different sound and same with tonearms and phono-preamps. While you can go crazy with all, the law of diminishing returns is quite steep above $2500 in vinyl, so no reason to do so.

As for destroying cartridges as one gets older...….. just remember to use your TA's cuing lever, both coming and going. I'm 72 and suffer from essential tremor and have yet to break a cantilever (never say never...….. I'm knocking on wood as I type this).

One other bit for the OP...…. new LPs often require a few plays to sound their best. The stylus actually can 'polish' the grooves.