Help Picking a turntable

Get your hands on a VPI Classic 1, 2 or 3 before they discontinue them......
I have a dealer who will give you a very competitive discount.......

I suggest this over the prime, as the heft of the non suspended table,
will give you a solid foundation for any cartridge you ever want to throw at it,
without compromise......

I'd suggest starting with an Ortofon 2M Black and move up from there......

There's a VPI Classic 1 on gon now for 1700 or so......
That combined with an Ortofon 2M Black would be absolutely
fantastic and well below your 3K budget.....

It is great you got to experience that......to give you a reference as you move forward.......

I have heard the Woodpecker........and have found it to be a versatile table, but a fairly old design......
In my opinion, I think you could do a lot better.....
The problem is the Woodpecker is 6500 with no arm and there is no way an arm will do that table justice under the 2K mark, then you get to add a cartridge......and you're looking at a grand not to embarass the 8500.00 table you just invested in.....

Alternatively, although you'd have to go away from Sounding's offerings......you could do a new VPI Prime turntable, which includes the 3D tonearm and get something very much on par with that 8500.00 setup for a fraction of the price (mid 3K)....

The trick is getting VPI's opinion on which cartridges that 3D arm bring out the best in.....(I believe anything from Ortofon in the low to mid price ranges really love the 3D tonearm)

This would give you some $$ left over to do a phono stage up right and not as an afterthought........

gasherbaum,

you might also look into a table that won't be out for a month or two, the upcoming Oracle Origine.  It's on their site and has been seen at a show or two.......comes with a really great arm and an Ortofon 2M Blue for 2K Retail.......I am a longtime fan of Oracle and will possibly be trying this turntable with my desktop headphone system.......

The combinations are endless......musical phono stages are a black art compared to the tables........

The highest value per dollar phono pre in my experience  is the Parasound JC3+ @ around 3K retail.......the combo I heard it on was a Michell Orbe SE with an Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge.......the sound was absolutely magnificent, even though the cartridge was modest....

beyond that:

You're getting into stratospheric range when it comes to phono pres in comparison with a turntable in the 3k range........the mix doesn't make sense, versus say a 7K table combo and a 2K phono pre.....

Actually, if you move up in the Oracle line to the Paris MK V, you'd be at 3200 retail on the table/arm and then could do a PH200 phono pre which
cosmetically matches the table, so it could sit next to it and not
have to be hidden away.........at 1600 retail......the corinth low output MC cartridge retails @ 2250  The transfiguration Axia is about the same....

Total for entire setup and one of the sexiest tt's around:  7K estimated...
There's no reason you should not be able to buy this brand new
for mid 5K's total, arm, cartridge, table and phonostage....maybe mix 6s if you go up to the Parasound instead of the Oracle......

I agree that most people don't "start" with a megabuck tt   or phono stage for that matter.....

I got the audio bug in the 1980s hearing a first generation Oracle Delphi in an audio shop, combined with ARC gear and Acoustic 2x2 used loudspeakers........on a classical piece of which I'll never know what it actually was, I felt I could just about crawl inside the cello......it was that pivotal moment all audiophiles can recall......and their wallets regret....

My turntables in succession:
Dual CS5000
Rega 1
Linn Axis
Acoustic Research ES1
Ariston RD11

Then I got out of vinyl for about 15 years

Upon returning to Vinyl, several years ago I got:

VPI Classic 1 w/ Benz Ace SL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVnFhnkrLTk
VPI Classic 3 w/ Lyra Kleos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rANy5pZJl7Q
Merrill 101.2 w/ Ortofon 12" arm, Arche headshell and Ortofon Cadenza Black as well as Ortofon Maestro Silver SPU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctaIWCcz9LQ
Finally, I went back to VPI and got an HR-X which I am currently on.....
I have a 12.7 metal arm (yes I do think it's better than 3d, which I've also had) and I've ended my cartridge search for the moment with
the Transfiguration Proteus......
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_cJrj5DwwQ


The delight in VPI tables is their lack of finickiness......versus suspended tables.......the mass of the platter combined with a non suspended design creates what I'll call a large majestic sound.......

but it hasn't ended:

Based on an experience at the Chicago show listening to a suspended table......I just ordered:

Oracle Delphi MK VI Second Generation
Oracle SME V Tonearm
will stay with Transfig Proteus.....

I will be selling my 1 year old VPI HR-X soon to try the suspended flavor of Oracle and if it isn't to my liking, I'll probably just buy yet another HR-X......or I may just buy a wider rack and keep both......LOL

As to phono stage, going all the way back to the Classic 1, I've used the phono section in my Convergent Audio Technologies SL1 Renaissance Preamp........this is one of two components I'm absolutely sure will be my last in the category......the other is my Magnepan 3.7s  I added a Hashimoto HM7 based stepup for the extremely low output Proteus and it absolutely brought everything to life......so that's staying as well.....

As to HO MC, my experience has been the added coil weight isn't worth it, I would go to the king of the MM's the Ortofon 2M black, or a Grado statement..........if you opt for an MM phono stage.......