At your price point, you can consider going a refurbished Sota and start looking for a good condition Graham 2.2 arm or similar. The Graham features VTA adjustment on-the-fly. That is one of the biggest improvements in playback quality you can make. You could also consider doing the same thing with a mid-priced Rega or other non-suspended table. They may not be suitable for your installation, because it depends on how well isolated the table location might be. Either way, you have a lot of excellent choices to consider.
Take your time, do as many auditions as you can, watch the postings here and most importantly, have fun! Good luck & happy listening!
Take your time, do as many auditions as you can, watch the postings here and most importantly, have fun! Good luck & happy listening!