Luxman PD 151 mk 1 or Feickert Volare

If the platter surface and the tonearm mounting board lie in parallel planes, which means the stylus sits squarely in the groove at 90 degrees azimuth, as should be the case for any well made TT, I’d sacrifice azimuth adjustment for other more important features.

Between the turntables at that level, select the one with the best tonearm.

The tonearm will make more difference/improvement in the sound than one or the other turntables

Thanks...I am leaning Luxman for this very reason. I think the Jelco, while not world class, has a strong reputation. And while I don't take reviews as the last word, the latest Stereophile review (of the Mk2) did inspire confidence. I  believe the reason Luxman now uses the Saec is only due to the Jelco no longer being in production. 

In stock form, the Luxman should provide better isolation (with all its Hanenite bits) and may well prove easier to live with while exhibiting sublime performance.

Christian Feickert used to be a big user/reseller of Jelco when they were available, so nothing wrong there.

https://galibierdesign.com/hot-rod-jelco-part-2/

I own  the Volare and. PD-171A.
 

The Luxman has the advantage thar you can mount a cover which is very convenient. A fine piece of mechanical engineering. The Jelco based toneam is a very  good performer, very detailed and matching a wide vairiety of cartridges. If you want to grow in the future choose the 171 over the 151 as you can change tonearm basis.
 

The Volare does not have the same quality feeling. The advantage is that the armboard can be changed and there are a few upgrades you can make. It sounds very neutral. If you want to grow in the future I would go with one of the bigger brothers of Volare.

They both are very capable, but look different and sound different. A matter of taste.
 

I ended up buying the PD 151 mk 1. I've been quite impressed here in the early going. I think the Volare would have been fine, but I wanted to keep this second system simple. The removable head shell is really cool. I'm considering the following cartridges. One of the Clearaudio MM's... I guess the Maestro. I have also heard great things about the Sumiko MM's. My price range is $500-$1000, give or take a few bucks. 

Add Hana MH to your list of cartridges to consider if you are looking for high output. 

I was at my Audio Video Therapy this past Friday for their spring audio show Luxman was in attendance with the new 191A. Very impressive. I have a 171A and apparently in about 6 months you will be able to buy the new tonearm for the 171. The new arm is 10" in length. Could be a nice upgrade if you're a 171 owner.

You will need a new tonearm basis aswell. Do we know how good this new tonearm is?