You have to go with the Rega, nothing else in the price range comes close. This is not an exagerated claim. The Rega's have arms and cartriges that all make for the best system synergy/compatability you can find. And yes they will generly smoke one thousand dollar cd players. The build of the Rega's is way way better than the Projects,MusicHalls etc. at this price point.
Will an entry level Project or MusicHall be enough
Unsatisfied with my current set up...I am comtemplating buying a table...and have heard from most respected audiophiles that a $500 table will easily surpass even the best CD transports and DAC convertors...what brought me to this conclusion...SACD...it makes me not want to play my current CDs...will a "starter" table such as the Project 1.2 or MusicHall 2.1 be a step in the right direction...or will I need to go higher up the chain..thanks..