Every day I see another turntable recommendation...

@pindac can I ask where are you located?

@saulh, I confess at the outset that I haven't read through this entire thread. However, as some have suggested, going "all in" on a TT set-up can mean many things. Focusing only on TT, arm & cart is, IMHO, rather myopic. There are definitely other necessary accoutrements for achieving the "best" sonic results possible in whatever budget target you set. Respectfully, I suggest adding a good record cleaning machine or system to your list of usual suspects, in addition to a good phono pre-amp. Clean records (i.e. not only clean-looking but actually clean, down to the grooves) are indispensable to achieving the best sonic fidelity with any good quality equipment you choose. If you want ease & convenience in the record cleaning department, have a look at the Degritter. If you don't mind a more labor-intensive approach, you can achieve the same or better results with a lash-up system at half the cost. Regardless, CLEAN records will be indispensable to great vinyl fidelity.  BTW:  even brand-new records should be cleaned before their first play. There will also be other things you'll need, as well (e.g. record camp or weight; stylus cleaner; LAST record preservative; etc.). Up for a little heavy reading and a hell of an education on the care & feeding of vinyl LP's? Check out "Precision Aqueous Cleaning of Vinyl Records" by Neil Antin on The Vinyl Press. Also, you might want to hang out at Analog Planet for a while and get to know Michael Fremer. All the Best!

But frankly, being on this forum is like drinking from an information firehose. I have learned a bunch and yet somehow, I am less convicted than before.

Functional truths are like that. They’re an opening into, a cascading expansion..ergo, ergo, ergo... - not a closure.

The journey is where it is at. Always has been, always will be. By the time you arrive, it is clear that the end point is meaningless, in itself.

@saulh

My local dealers stock, AMG, AVM, Basis, Clearaudio, Michell, Musichall, Pro-ject, Rega, VPI, so I am likely restricted to those brands. I am certain my view will change by the end of this thread.

By now I suspect you already know that there will be advocates for each mfg’s TT. Then others will pick one NOT on the list. Another will try to save you $$$ with a cheaper TT while another says you need to up the budget by a little and get this one.

IMO, the best thing to do is take what you have read and learned and apply that. Then, look at user and professional reviews. Look for the common traits that are listed among the different TT’s and pick one. Yes, there are lots of good info here. but too much can cause a lot of confusion. You have to get your own head in the game. Then choose, based on your reasoning skills. Good luck and enjoy the journey.

A important consideration is that a multiple of suggestions made are coming from experiences gathered over many many years.

In most cases valuable attributes from experiences are maintained whilst other lesser valued methods used will have been subject to be changed or no longer used.

Keeping it very Simple, I started out with a Felt Platter Mat, I still own a Felt Platter Mat from when I started out, as I do the TT it was supplied with.

The Felt Platter Mat has not been used for more than 20 Years as a minimum, the TT that had the Platter Mat supplied with it has not been the main used TT  for a similar period of time, but does get used occasionally to keep the ear attuned to this type of design and how it compares to the TT's in use today.

It is seen on forums that others recommend the use of a Felt Mat, I don't.

Others recommend the TT Model no longer in regular use, I do not.

My assessment is the the level of value I attach to the attributes of the Material and Device does not lend itself to my making a recommendation.

When the common lines of communication are being practiced, it is usual for  Individuals to communicate in a manner that are mainly looking to deliver the key points that they believe will be most valuable for the enquirer to consider.

Convictions on this type of information can be strong and extend on to there being a defending stance made when another challenge/confronts the statements made.

Do keep in mind listening to replays of recorded music is a past time, and is soely intended to be a enjoyed experience.

Equipment used to achieve a replay, well that's another complexity to be added and there is not much fun to be found, if one chooses to go trudging through the quagmire that the subject so successfully stirs up.

In the analogue section on this forum, there are the few contributors that are 'Pigs in Poo' and in their element when equipment is the Topic in discussion and the mud flinging starts.