Bill -- knowing where you're coming from & where you are, it's difficult to recommend a "best". Rather, and keeping to what I've LISTENED to, I'll throw three choices based on sonics of course, + EASE of set-up & operation, reliability and EASE of maintenance.
Simon Yorke S7.
Yorke provides his own arm (VERY user friendly), but I believe the Schroeder Ref is superior. This is virtually a set-up once, plug & play TT. Maintenance is, well, zero; you might, however, consider throwing some oil into the bearings shafts, at least once. Really delighful. It's guaranteed for life, BTW, and if you ever feel like having it checked out, etc, that's free too (I think you pay postage).
This TT can be ordered to accommodate multiple arms if you wish.
Aas-Gabriel
A Swiss player that includes an arm that is similar, but not identical to the Schroeder design. Here the platter is suspended in an opposing magnetic field and the motor is decoupled, so contact between the basic TT components (motor, platter, arm board) is minimal. This TT can also accommodate two or more arms.
Problem: it is cumbersome (takes up space and is heavy). The platter magnet (losing its field) may or may not be an issue. I would expect not. I never had any indication of a problem.
Clearaudio Master Reference -- w/OUT the arm!! (Schroeder ref instead.) Not difficult to set-up and operate. Belt driven -- i.e. a possible maintenance issue. Cutting to the chase, "belt" is basically a chic name for any bog standard elastic band of suitable diametre. So, maintenance: minimal. BTW, the motors' speed stability is exemplary.
Problem: takes up space; price (the "Clearaudio premium")
That's the extent of my "upmarket" experience. Other NOT stratospheric TTs are very good/excellent but, to my (limited) knowledge cannot match the above. After all, you have lived with the stratospheric levels of a Sirius & now with a V. Indian:)
p.s. I must admit that the SME 30/V (that's the only SME combo I've tried), beautifully engineered as it is and user friendly, never did it for me sonically.
Cheers!
Simon Yorke S7.
Yorke provides his own arm (VERY user friendly), but I believe the Schroeder Ref is superior. This is virtually a set-up once, plug & play TT. Maintenance is, well, zero; you might, however, consider throwing some oil into the bearings shafts, at least once. Really delighful. It's guaranteed for life, BTW, and if you ever feel like having it checked out, etc, that's free too (I think you pay postage).
This TT can be ordered to accommodate multiple arms if you wish.
Aas-Gabriel
A Swiss player that includes an arm that is similar, but not identical to the Schroeder design. Here the platter is suspended in an opposing magnetic field and the motor is decoupled, so contact between the basic TT components (motor, platter, arm board) is minimal. This TT can also accommodate two or more arms.
Problem: it is cumbersome (takes up space and is heavy). The platter magnet (losing its field) may or may not be an issue. I would expect not. I never had any indication of a problem.
Clearaudio Master Reference -- w/OUT the arm!! (Schroeder ref instead.) Not difficult to set-up and operate. Belt driven -- i.e. a possible maintenance issue. Cutting to the chase, "belt" is basically a chic name for any bog standard elastic band of suitable diametre. So, maintenance: minimal. BTW, the motors' speed stability is exemplary.
Problem: takes up space; price (the "Clearaudio premium")
That's the extent of my "upmarket" experience. Other NOT stratospheric TTs are very good/excellent but, to my (limited) knowledge cannot match the above. After all, you have lived with the stratospheric levels of a Sirius & now with a V. Indian:)
p.s. I must admit that the SME 30/V (that's the only SME combo I've tried), beautifully engineered as it is and user friendly, never did it for me sonically.
Cheers!