Tom,
I was in the same situation like you a year ago and after reading a lot of reviews and going through the threds aon Audiogon, here is what I ended up doing:
I bought a Music Hall MMF 5 turntable, a Marantz turntable, and a VPI scout turntable to listen to for myself and compare them. I liked the VPI scout the best because of the bass and sound stage that it produces, and I even like how it looks. I sold the others. I am now doing the same thing for phono cartridges: Ortofon 2M Black, Goldring 1042, and a Dynavector DV20H. So far I like the Ortofon the best because it sounds livilier, more bass, and tracks well. My second choice is the Dynavectoe. I think with the budget you have you could not go wrong in getting a VPI scout Master.
I was in the same situation like you a year ago and after reading a lot of reviews and going through the threds aon Audiogon, here is what I ended up doing:
I bought a Music Hall MMF 5 turntable, a Marantz turntable, and a VPI scout turntable to listen to for myself and compare them. I liked the VPI scout the best because of the bass and sound stage that it produces, and I even like how it looks. I sold the others. I am now doing the same thing for phono cartridges: Ortofon 2M Black, Goldring 1042, and a Dynavector DV20H. So far I like the Ortofon the best because it sounds livilier, more bass, and tracks well. My second choice is the Dynavectoe. I think with the budget you have you could not go wrong in getting a VPI scout Master.