I agree with the Rega as a good place to start. I auditioned the P3 and the P5 extensively before choosing the P5 with Rega Exact cart. and the upgraded PSU.....it would fall nicely within your price range. And, added benefit, you may not need to upgrade in a year or three.
please help with new purchase
My home is very modern...hard woods, Floor to ceiling glass windows(11 ft), and lots of natural stone. In short, very bright sound. I like great sound but i don't like stacks of equipment. As well I live in a resort town which is a 6 hour drive to the nearest hi end audio dealer so I don't have the luxury going back and forth from dealers trying out turntables. My budget is $2500. I have a McIntosh integrated amp with phono inputs. my question is.....should I just go out and by a Rega P3 for $600 and be done with it for a year or so to see if I really like the vinyl sound? Or have you found that really thats a waste of time and money because I will just want to upgrade to a better unit shortly after. In short, I am trying to get a sense of whether or not the addition of a tuntable can be a simple process.....or will I be creating a monster (wanting to start tweaking and buying complement products).