To get into vinyl, or not?, I was set on constructing an analogue system, but.. Options

[almostmitch]

I was set on constructing an analogue system, but I have seen several users criticize the various aspects of the vinyl medium.
(sound quality/accuracy, cost of equipment, effort to play/digitize)

I'm 20 years old and have never truly experienced vinyl. However, I am extremely intrigued by it. I very much like the idea of setting up an affordable but quality system to listen to vinyls on. Also, I would be digitizing my dads old albums and some of my own. I look at it as more of a hobby/interest than its practicality regarding current tech and sound quality. I like the idea of starting a record collection and listening to them with my friends. The nostalgia and audio technology are other aspects that interest me (big tech geek here). I'm aware of the imperfections of vinyl's sound and this is why I want to make sure I get a quality system to achieve the best possible sound the LP will produce (within budget). For my system, I had the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon and a pair of decent floor standing speakers in mind but was not set on which components I wanted to use with it (pre-amp + receiver, integrated amp, or just a receiver w/ phono inputs). This was originally the question I was going to ask you guys. Something I could connect my computer to in order to play music files is something I'd like to be able to do. I have always cared about sound quality and the majority of my albums are perfect CD rips (.flac). I currently do not have a hi-fi system to fully enjoy my music on which is another reason why I'm looking to purchase one. Also, this is something I plan to take with me and enjoy for many years to come.

-So I ask, how do you like the vinyl experience compared to the CD experience? Can the added complexities with vinyl add to the experience?
-Also, if I decide to go for a system, which device(s) combination might produce the best sound quality at a reasonable price?

Thanks for any input!

[RonaldDumsfeld]

I'd feel safer spending an extra $100 for the belt drive,

Why spend extra on an inferior product? The myth that belt drive TTs are intrinsically superior to direct drives has been known to be a canard for 30 years.

In 20 years as a naive audiophile I went through 8 belt drive TTs. Including models from well known brands including Dual, Linn and Thorens. They all broke down. Or needed constant preventive maintainence. Or both. Twenty years ago I bought a set of Technics 1210. They offer superb performance, have never given a moments trouble and, with 10 minutes elbow grease, could pass as new. Not only that, they are worth more today than they cost new in 1992.

could you tell me a bit more about those pre-implemented tweaks?

Technics enthusiasts discovered that could mod their kit very easily by simple rewiring or changing jumpers. These include balanced output, strobe disable, doubling the pitch change range, reverse play and slam stop. Google the specialist sites for full details on all these and more. What I noticed on the AT LP120_USB was a front panel buttons to instantly change the pitch slider between +/- 8 and +/- 16 and a reverse button.