Looking for turntable for under $1000

Oregon - thanks for your thoughts on the Lenco; I don't think anyone around here has one. Is the Lenco still being made?

Bob, I'd really like to hear what you think of the Pro-ject RM-5. It's been on my mind since I read the review at 6moons:

http://www.sixmoons.com:80/audioreviews/project3/combo.html

The price point is exceptional and the design is sleek. It reminds me of the old Micro Seiki DQX-500. There's scant information about Pro-ject tables in the Agon forums. It would be nice if could do some sort of review or follow up. Did you pick up the Musical Surroundings Phonomena? Have you chosen a cartridge? -Mark

Mingles - I really like the Pro-ject RM-5; it sounds superb and is very easy to set up in terms of the overhang, VTA and tracking force. The only negative thing I see about the table is that, after setting the anti-skate, there is a slight tendency for the arm to want to drift toward the outer edge of the record as it is being lowered. This may be due to the fact that I am using a very lightweight cartridge (the Ortofon X5 only weighs 4.1 grams). Have the tracking force set at 2.1 grams. The table comes with both a felt and cork mat. I have been listening to the cork mat recently which seems to provide a more neutral sound with better dynamics. For $650 this table is hard to beat.

Bob, I'm glad you like the table. I think the drift is due to the fact that the Ortofon X5 is too light for the tonearm. 4.1 grams is at the lower limit for the counterweight. The 9c is not a low mass arm. You can see from Pro-ject's web site that the optimal cartridge weight is between 6-10g:

Effective tonearm mass 9,5g
Supplied counterweight cartridge weight 6 - 10g
Optional counterweights cartridge weight 10 - 15g and 4 - 6g

You'll get better sound (in particular, better bass) from a properly matched cartridge. The effective mass of an arm and cartridge plays a key role in how the needle tracks the groove.

However, if you plan to keep the Ortofon and the drift continues to be a problem, you might think about putting a small amount of light tacky glue (like reusable glue) on the lift bar that lowers the arm. I know this doesn't sound elegant, but it works.