Kirkview:
I have an original Rega Planar 3 with the R200 tonearm and its sounds fairly terrible compared to my CD player (Marantz CD7300). I am hoping to upgrade my amp (A&R Cambridge A60) and was going to go for something with a phono stage since I have a turntable (e.g. Rega Brio 3, Arcam Alpha 9). My speakers are Rega R3s and I listen to rock, blues, female vocal.
So, given that it may (will) take a bit of cash to get the turntable sounding half decent (probably a new tonearm, cartridge and a service) should I just ditch it and stick with CD? If yes, what amp should I consider (new or secondhand up to £400)?
If you upgrade the tonearm to the RB300, that's around £145 on its' own, factor in a new cartridge (£60-120) and the cost of the service and you have a new turntable. The P2 or Goldring GR2 (if you can find the latter) are worth thinking of, but it depends on your budget. They'll set you back around £250 or so, with the GR2 only available on a deal though it comes with a Rega P2 arm and a Goldring 1012GX fitted as standard both of which are very highly recommended.
Phono stages - all depends on you budget (as ever!) and your amp. Assuming you go for something which doesn't have a phono stage in the end, then Cambridge Audio's 640P at £60 is good, Graham Slee has one which is around £100 which is well rated too. On the used market, you'll pick up a Linn Majik with phono stage for £400 from a dealer which includes a 1 year warranty. Some of the newer amps have a phono stage too, but check the quality of that stage. Marantz are pretty consistent but this doesn't always apply across the board with all manufacturers, so do try to get clued up ahead of splashing the cash.
Comparing vinyl to CD is like apples to oranges however. Both produce music (not the fruit obviously!), but both go about it in totally different ways. I adore vinyl, both from the sound and for the packaging. Anyone who's bought a boxset of LPs or purchased Gilmour's On An Island will know what I'm talking about. The sound quality can be astounding on both - after that, it's horses for courses.