You could buy a Sota Star, a Rega RB 900 arm and a Benz Glider for less than 3k and have a fantastic analog system with money to spare for records. You'll get lots of recommendations but I think this combo will outdo almost any VPI/SME combo in your price range.
Who's going to set all these goodies up for you though? It doesn't matter how good the individual pieces are if they aren't set up right it won't sound good. It's not terribly hard it just takes time, and the right tools.
Every system is different and everybody has different tastes or priorities. People like me will tell you what they like but who knows what you would prefer. It reminds me of J Gordon Holt's "Why HiFi experts disagree."
A good TT/Arm/cartridge in the price range you're looking should sound great, it's a question of "which version of great do you want to live with?"
Who's going to set all these goodies up for you though? It doesn't matter how good the individual pieces are if they aren't set up right it won't sound good. It's not terribly hard it just takes time, and the right tools.
Every system is different and everybody has different tastes or priorities. People like me will tell you what they like but who knows what you would prefer. It reminds me of J Gordon Holt's "Why HiFi experts disagree."
A good TT/Arm/cartridge in the price range you're looking should sound great, it's a question of "which version of great do you want to live with?"