Most beautiful turntable under $5k

Beauty is in the eyes of beholder indeed. Another vote for the Technics SL1200G - it’s the culmination of DD functionality and beauty where Technics had to do it all again from scratch in the right way. IMO there is no other table more simple to use and most of all the G is sonically very hard to beat at this price range when you mach the cart right and add a hydraulic damper to the magnesium tonearm.

On the polar opposite: Mag Lev ML-1:

I had one to try for couple of months. Utter beauty to see that levitating platter in action. ...but plain annoying operation (super-slow star- and slowdown times) and sonically not as pleasing, you could hear nearly 1/5th of note variation (wow/flutter) by ear on loud sections and relatively noisy at low level sections, especially in loud environment. But boy, it’s a work of art in it’s phisics-curiosity looks when it plays :)

(For comparison 1200G is like a blitz fast rock solid table, utter simplicity and ease of use, class-leading stability and silent as a church mouse even in open-air festival-amplification sound levels and those who ask: for me actually more beautiful in that silver!)

I have 2 toddlers and know exactly what you mean.

That’s why I ditched my Thorens and Mag Lev that didn’t get much use because of the situation - instead got the 1200G that is living and breathing in my living room and gets lots of use now due to it’s neat design. I simply close the lid while playing when they run around, lot’s of fun on listening and dancing for them as well. The best feature: I use small load strap to keep the lid locked when not listening so they can’t stick their hands between to touch the tonearm and cartridge, I put the clamp on the other side of the table where they can’t reach - takes me 5 seconds to release it and stow aside the table and I am ready to play vinyl again. The solution is elegant, toddler safe yet a pure good looking hi-fi table :)