So many great golden era DD tables out there, what do you recommend for $1000?

@halcro   Thanks.

 (Mine came with a DA307 tonearm, which is sitting in a shoebox somewhere.)

Don't underestimate that arm to be considered junk.
It is an excellent arm with a still low price on the market, it has not suffered the costly folly of many vintage pieces and is better mechanically and constructively than vintage arms that are now overrated and sold for hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
I don't want to mention names so as not to hurt the sensitivity of some owners but I want to give a small example of many positive features of this tonearm (there are several):
the rubber that separates the barrel from the counterweight of the DA307 even after 40 years from its construction is perfect if you look at it. does not crumble, does not break and is still perfectly elastic .... how much rubber used in audio products is so durable?

You're right Lewm in your recollection of JP Jones' skepticism about Victor's Patented Bi-Directional Servo......
And then Hiho (I think) produced all the World Patent Documents for it which floored JP who said he needed to read all the documents to try and understand the principles.
He never reported back...🤔
I don't think enough documentation exists for the significance of Victor's Bi-Directional Servo Control to be appreciated.
It is the exact opposite of Technic's design which utilises a powerful motor with huge torque to control a massive platter.
With the Victors......a lightweight aluminium platter is controlled by a medium-powered motor (sometimes coreless) combined with their various servo-controllers....with the Bi-Directional Controller utilised in their higher models.

So radical was this approach, that Yamaha 'borrowed' the designer of the TT-81 from Victor, to modify it with a coreless motor to use in their acclaimed GT-2000 and the Goldmund Studietto used the motor from the TT-81 with Micro-Seiki putting it all together.

That innovation in analogue engineering runs throughout the entire Victor repertoire during the Golden Age of Analogue.
From cartridges to platter mats to tonearms to turntables...the Japanese Victor Company turned out some of the real jewels which still today...can hold their own.
That's why the QL-A7 is so ridiculously undervalued at its performance levels.
Shhh....don't let the secret out.
ALL of the Victors are undervalued and under-appreciated IMHO...🤗