Sent Back the Pro-ject Turntable: What would be the best option in the $1800 range?

chakster, If the Technics turntables were the last turntables on earth I would sell all my vinyl and commit 100% to digital. Yes, they are beautifully made and that is the trap. They are also cheap and that is the hook. The SP 10 is just expensive beautifully made junk. Get yourself an Techdas Air Force 1 Improved. Now that is a real turntable. Of course if you can't afford it then get a SOTA Cosmos Vacuum which will get you 95% of the way there at a very reasonable price. Your choice of tonearm. I recommend the SAT arm or you could find an old Syrinx PU 3 and get 95% of the way there. 
See Chakster the mistake you are making is that turntables are an art form and the Technics just does not cut it. It is the Toyota of turntables.
No emotion, lifeless, bland. It takes the joy out of spinning vinyl. In short, YUK. 

noromance, an old $100 cartridge in an AR table would sound better than any cartridge in a GR. That big magnetic menace under the platter will scramble the coils of any cartridge. Direct Drive turntables sound awful and the cheep ones are even worse. The Technics arm tube rings like a bell. Just turn up the volume and tap it with a pencil. You might as well hang it in a church. 

If you like ProJect get the 6 Perspex SB. Shop around for price. Down the line put a Clearaudio or Ortofon MM cartridge in there. It has a great arm for the money, better than the Technics.