Yeah, let's not forget that as finicky as WE see the LP playback process, there was a time when everybody did it.
Still, I think a $1K Thorens single-play automatic or auto shutoff with factory-mounted and aligned cartridge would be the most no-hassle approach to decent quality. The Thorens TD240 is $975 with included cartridge. That leaves an outboard phono stage. The Cambridge Audio 540P is $99, but that's not too far over. Or there's the Audio Technica PEQ3 at $69.
Another approach would be a Technics SL1200 as a fully manual, but durable and ergonomic platform at $350-500, which would leave enough budget for a better cartridge and phono stage, such as an Ortofon 2M Blue ($199) and any number of $150-ish phono stages--Pro-Ject Phono Box, Rega Fono Mini, Cambridge Audio 640P, the NAD, Music Hall PA 1.2, etc., plus a pair of Audio Advisor's AudioQuest Blue Racer II interconnects between the phono stage and the receiver.
Still, I think a $1K Thorens single-play automatic or auto shutoff with factory-mounted and aligned cartridge would be the most no-hassle approach to decent quality. The Thorens TD240 is $975 with included cartridge. That leaves an outboard phono stage. The Cambridge Audio 540P is $99, but that's not too far over. Or there's the Audio Technica PEQ3 at $69.
Another approach would be a Technics SL1200 as a fully manual, but durable and ergonomic platform at $350-500, which would leave enough budget for a better cartridge and phono stage, such as an Ortofon 2M Blue ($199) and any number of $150-ish phono stages--Pro-Ject Phono Box, Rega Fono Mini, Cambridge Audio 640P, the NAD, Music Hall PA 1.2, etc., plus a pair of Audio Advisor's AudioQuest Blue Racer II interconnects between the phono stage and the receiver.