I'm New To Vinyl - Which Turntable Should I Buy?

There are some really good and relatively inexpensive choices out there. My preference is for the VPI Scout/Scoutmaster but regardless of which table you choose the KEY issue is proper isolation. Any competent table will sound fantastic if you are able to remove it from footfalls and resonances introduced by your speakers. Really good tables get better still. I would hesitate before spending a lot of money on a rig if you are unable to mount it to the wall using a Target or similar stand or can utilize some other means of isolating the table. IMHO table sitting on suspended floors (particularly in older homes) cannot be made to sound their best using many of the isolation products out there (Black Diamond Racing, Ginko, etc)--they are merely bandaids that do not adequately address the vibrations your table is subjected to. Basement systems are great in this regard because the table sits on concrete rather than suspended flooring. If you can't isolate then I would lower your expectations about what vinyl can do or simply stick with your excellent digital setup.

Slight quibble with Ruston here--while I fully endorse his claim that wall mounting is preferred when you have wood floor over joists, I would NOT recommend hanging the turntable shelf from the masonry. First, it flexes and vibrates when excited by room resonances and footfalls. Second, it is simply too weak to hold your precious table and the shelf supporting it. Screw your wall mount shelf directly into the studs or, if you do not have studs where you wish to place the shelf, take a 4' H X 32" W (the width between two studs with one in the middle) piece of grade 1 (smooth finish) 5/8" birch plywood and mount it to the studs in the location you desire. First cut away the wall board or plaster in the area where you want to mount the board. Then simply spackle around the perimeter where the plywood meets the wall board/plaster and paint. Now you can screw the wall mount shelf directly into the plywood. You won't even be able to see where the plywood is and will have the ability to easily spackle the holes and repaint should you have to remove the wall mount shelf for any reason. I did this at my house and it works very well.

Rushton--sorry, I misinterpreted. Certainly block or brick will not vibrate. However, I have always found it difficult to find anchor screws capable of holding significant weight in that type material. Supposing one could find screws to fix the table shelf securely, then that would be a fine choice. Just want to make sure the whole thing doesn't come down in a crash!