Help me decide on first turntable purchase

@elliottbnewcombjr I am not certain, that is why I don't want to jump in at 5 to 7K. I don't have much vinyl, so we will see how it goes and if I like it and stay with it then I can upgrade in a few years. 

@cd318 sorry, just not a fan of the Technics look. My TT when I was a teenager was a Technics, but I just don't care for the look now. I don't dislike the Rega, but I prefer the styling of the Clearaudio and Music Hall Walnut. I like the Ultradeck though as well.

Save some coin and try a U-Turn. They have units with built in phono stages. Will it be better than the other tables mentioned? No. Will you have it unboxed and playing records to a satisfactory degree in 15 minutes after unboxing? Yes. Resale is pretty good. If it turns out vinyl is not your thing, no big loss. 

Audio-Technica LP-7

Built in Phono MM+MC+ Facility for external
Stylus upgrade possible without having to buy new cartridge

I have the Mofi Ultradeck with the Ultra cartridge and the Manley Chinook MK II with the better tubes and higher gain. My wife and I danced and smiled a lot. Have it now couple years. Play Ella and Louis, Nina Simone sings the blues, Star Wars soundtrack, Black Keys the Breaks, Gillian Welch the Revelator, Sturgil Simpson High Top Mountain, Chris Stapleton… we are focusing on enjoying the music and I love this dynamic TT ! Enjoy my friend 

Hello,
I am not an expert my any means. I go to MC for advise.  If you can live without the Rega NEO speed controller for now I would go with the Rega P3. If you are going from 331/3 to 45 you will need to shift the belt under the platter. Rega carts are good but I feel you have more options. I say get the table without the cart. Buy a nice cart. Dynavecktor has a 10x5 mk2 MC in low or high output. So you set your phono preamp to MM for the high output or MC for the low output. I own it and it sounds really good. You can go with the Schiit Mani which I also own. Again it is great for the money but it is a little basic. Some of the Rega guys can get you into a $1200 preamp. Or buy the Rega P3 which now comes with the better Exact cartridge for $1200. If you can open up the wallet just a little more I would go with the Hegel V10. This even has balanced outputs, big sound and resolution for the money. The reason I am telling you about this setup is I own it or have tested it. Plus, When you upgrade you can do so to the table and even add the speed controller. Or sell it or trade it in on your next table. The P3 is very popular to sell because it’s a great starter table, has tons of upgrades you can do as money comes in, and isn’t out of people’s price range like the P6 can be. So $3250 before tax and you will be amazed by the sound. Or stay within budget by getting the Exact cartridge. Or go slightly over budget with the Exact cartridge and the Neo speed controller. If someone lives near the Chicagoland area this store has Rega, Dynavecktor, and Hegel. https://holmaudio.com/
I hope this helped.