Hi to everybody. Greetings from Australia.
I am very new here, although not at all new to audio and I have been following this topic with interest.
I also had the same question as the OP and I looked at and listened to as many of the usual suspects as possible, so Pro-Ject, Rega, Music Hall etc.
I decided on a Pro-Ject 2xperince DC at a cheap price for a demo unit, but quickly became dis satisfied with it, so I sold it and imported a vintage Pioneer PL 50 via Noppin and subsequently fitted a Dynavector DV 20 XL cart.
Compared to you guys in the USA, all audio gear is very expensive in Australia and even ordinary tables like the Rega 8 and MoFi Ultradeck are $4K+ AUD here. My Pioneer sounds( and looks) great and you can see, feel touch and most importantly, hear, the quality of a 30 year old table compared to a 2020 table.
So, to address the OP's question, I would look to import a vintage DD 'table such as Pioneer, Yamaha, Denon, Victor etc for a ridiculously low price. Yes, it is true that shipping is expensive but all up my Pioneer cost me $1100 AUD, two years ago. Shipping prices have definitely risen sharply since then but IMO it is still a viable option.
I am very new here, although not at all new to audio and I have been following this topic with interest.
I also had the same question as the OP and I looked at and listened to as many of the usual suspects as possible, so Pro-Ject, Rega, Music Hall etc.
I decided on a Pro-Ject 2xperince DC at a cheap price for a demo unit, but quickly became dis satisfied with it, so I sold it and imported a vintage Pioneer PL 50 via Noppin and subsequently fitted a Dynavector DV 20 XL cart.
Compared to you guys in the USA, all audio gear is very expensive in Australia and even ordinary tables like the Rega 8 and MoFi Ultradeck are $4K+ AUD here. My Pioneer sounds( and looks) great and you can see, feel touch and most importantly, hear, the quality of a 30 year old table compared to a 2020 table.
So, to address the OP's question, I would look to import a vintage DD 'table such as Pioneer, Yamaha, Denon, Victor etc for a ridiculously low price. Yes, it is true that shipping is expensive but all up my Pioneer cost me $1100 AUD, two years ago. Shipping prices have definitely risen sharply since then but IMO it is still a viable option.