TT/ cartridge recommendations $1000

At the risk of inducing a littany of negatives (don't care), I'll give my .02. To answer the question of whether or not a *good sounding* (subjective assessment) TT/arm/cartridge can be had for this system, I'd say probably not. Why would you set your sights so low for the front end after putting together a pretty damn decent pre/amp/speakers?? I firmly believe in putting the lions share of resources into the source. I'll steer clear of cliches' here, but I would strongly recommend taking additional time to save, scrimp, whatever and put about 3k (if possible, but at least 2K) into a good analog front end. Oracle, VPI, Linn (god forbid), Basis etc can be found used in this price range, and the musical satisfaction wrought by the additional investment will well be worth it in the long run (IMHO). Cheers, -John

Leafs: Your situation is indeed a rarity, and I'm happy for you that you scored a good rig on the cheap.
Bigo: If you're willing to go 1.5K, then I'd advise using something like a Grado Prestige series cartridge on a 1.5K used table and arm. You can always upgrade the cartridge later when funds allow. Perhaps a good used table and a new Origin Live modified Rega RB-250 would fit the bill.

Come to think of it, another line that you may consider is the Eurokit (renamed Scheu) tables marketed by Audio Advancements. Their entry-level table with an O.L. arm might fit the budget, and all indications are that they sound pretty good. Just a thought, -John

I would bet it sounds pretty good - a caveat being to check out the stylus on the Glider. The VPI Jr. is a good choice, as it has the upgrade path option if you decide to pursue vinyl more seriously. I also believe that the AQ arm can be upgraded to PT8 with a phono cable substitution. I've not heard it but it has a good rep. The Glider is a pretty good cart. I had a LO.4 and was quite happy with it. Also, make sure that the output of the Benz is compatible to your phono stage.
Happy Listening, -John