Don't worry, they seem to be a good quality "stepping stone" component for many here, and you should see one soon at about $300 +/-. They are built like a tank, and I never had a problem with the stable platter, not even a skip, except on one disk with a scratch in it. Used as a transport, you would be hard to beat it at $300. Theta Data Basic II at $400 to $500 is also good, or the pearl at $500 to $650, which you might even find balanced. Good luck.
