Turntable advice

I reread your question. Tell us about your speakers. If you need an amp and phono stage then this mission will need more time, research and a working budget overall. 
 

Do you also listen to digital? Do you own records? If you don’t have a record collection be advised that not everyone who dashes out and spends real money on a turntable station will stay committed to collecting expensive records to make this whole thing worthwhile. 
 

Your first turntable does not have to be your endgame table. Pick a model with solid resale value if you decide to change course…

There is endless chatter on forums about the Rega philosophy and mass, etc. But Rega is a successful company, started in the 70s with lots of dealership support.

If you stay with Rega cartridges then there really is very little fiddling needed. Rega is one of those brands with component system synergy. So, if considering the P6 or P8 you need to listen to the Ania Pro or new Apheta 3 plus the Rega Aria phono stage. They all work together well. 

If you are an audiophile who likes to play and swap things around this is not the system for you. If you want a “I just want to enjoy my records” guy then at this price point Rega is still worth checking out even if for comparison evaluations only.

$5K is real money so hopefully you can listen to options rather just following suggestions from us Internet forum slobs!

Most HiFi is priced at different cost vs performance points. At the lower end doubling the investment will reveal real improvement. But the more you spend the weirder the relationshio between cost and sound quality gets. 
 

So, if you have access to audio stores I would audition kit at your budget plus kit below and above your budget. Does the cheaper stuff really sound poorer to you? Does the expensive stuff blow you away or does it reveal a bad land mine you will be thankful of avoiding?

Trust your ears and enjoy the journey…