As an owner of a VPI turntable for more than 10 years, I can certainly recommend you give serious consideration to the VPI Aries -- either the standard version, or the newer "hot rod" version.
However, if I were buying a new turntable today, the new line of Acoustic Signature turntables would be near the top of my list. They have gotten some excellent reviews, and they have been on an introductory sale at Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor (www.needledoctor.com). The top-of-the-line model, the Acoustic Signature Analog One MkII, has a MSRP of $5,500, but is currently on sale at the Needle Doctor for $2500. Combine this turntable with a good tonearm, and you'll have a hell of an analog front end for about $4k NEW.
Among the tonearms you might consider for this table -- either new for the less expensive models, or used for the pricier ones, are: the VPI JMW 12.5 or 10.5; the Graham 2.0 or 2.2; the Wheaton Triplanar (used)l and the new Rega RB1000 (MSRP $1500).
However, if I were buying a new turntable today, the new line of Acoustic Signature turntables would be near the top of my list. They have gotten some excellent reviews, and they have been on an introductory sale at Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor (www.needledoctor.com). The top-of-the-line model, the Acoustic Signature Analog One MkII, has a MSRP of $5,500, but is currently on sale at the Needle Doctor for $2500. Combine this turntable with a good tonearm, and you'll have a hell of an analog front end for about $4k NEW.
Among the tonearms you might consider for this table -- either new for the less expensive models, or used for the pricier ones, are: the VPI JMW 12.5 or 10.5; the Graham 2.0 or 2.2; the Wheaton Triplanar (used)l and the new Rega RB1000 (MSRP $1500).