My advice to stay away of the cheap belt drive and with your budget look for Technics SL1200GR ($1700 new. and NO this model is not a "DJ turntable"), vintage Pickering XSV/3000-SP cartridge with Stereohedron tip (about $450 or cheaper is you’re lucky), and JLTi phono stage (Convert from AU$ and it will be just $940 with shipping), ask Joe for special mod by request (manufacturer can do that for you) to replace internal load resistors which will allow you to use optional RCA plug load resistors for MM - this is very important option as you can use 100k Ohm for MM cartridges (instead 47k Ohm). Most of the greatest MM are better at 100 k Ohm.
It will be an amazing system for very reasonable cost.
I know all these components very well and JLTi is my favorite MM phono stage for my big collection of vintage MM/MI cartridges, no other phono stage on the market will give you optional loading for MM. Reading an old manuals for some of the best MM from the 70s/80s i always see a range for loading, from 40k Ohm to 100k Ohm.
Technics is the best you can get for the money, if the SL1200GR is still expensive, look for used one cheaper to save $300 or so. This is unbeatable turntable, it's stable direct drive with nice tonearm, build like a tank, this is real thing. The "GR" is simplified version of the the $4000 "G" model (read reviews).
It will be an amazing system for very reasonable cost.
I know all these components very well and JLTi is my favorite MM phono stage for my big collection of vintage MM/MI cartridges, no other phono stage on the market will give you optional loading for MM. Reading an old manuals for some of the best MM from the 70s/80s i always see a range for loading, from 40k Ohm to 100k Ohm.
Technics is the best you can get for the money, if the SL1200GR is still expensive, look for used one cheaper to save $300 or so. This is unbeatable turntable, it's stable direct drive with nice tonearm, build like a tank, this is real thing. The "GR" is simplified version of the the $4000 "G" model (read reviews).