Turntable

@noromance    smoking marijuana would be enough to dilate the pupils 😁

Beautiful woman. Interestingly, Italian ladies imbibed belladonna juice as one of the poison's side effects was a dilation of the pupils, apparently enhancing appeal.

Belladonna.

Is that Donna Italian? :-)

Belladonna.

Yiddish translator: Donna = Mensch

Google translator: Donna = Woman muhahahahahaaa 😀

tomic601 Yes it was suggested to call Donna. Thanks for your well welcome advise

Another vote for the SOTA but for now keep Rega arm. Get the best SOTA you can

Did somebody say “ Call Donna !”

i am a direct drive robot with no belt …loops

Having purchased the Eclipse/Condor combo and having substituted it for the motor assembly in my $8K turntable I agree the upgrade is well worth it.

I`d like to thank everyone for there input and advise as I stated in my opening statement right on target. Yes (Spencer) I`ll also be calling Donna.   (mijostyn) I only wish I had 10k to spend on a new Nova VI not there yet when I talk to Donna I will ask if there`s a rebuilt Nova avail. if not a new SapphireV will fit my budget $2,900 However, I will look into the Schroder CB.   (Big_ greg) your in my head😄. its good to hear everyone agrees on dismissing the Rega300.    (jasonbourn52) my plan as been to purchase the SoundSmith Carmen2 MC cart. before purchasing the T/T I`ll also research the Hana EL.  (Spencer aka sbank) your right on point advise well taken.  (lewm9) something to think about.   (jperry) that is my plan until I get my SoundSmith Carmen2 MC cart. then upgrade to one of the two arms (mijostyn) suggest or the Hanna EL   (jasonbourn52) suggested.  Once again I thank you all. "HAPPY HOLIDAYS"!!

Your best bet is to get a Mobile Fidelity ultra deck tt with an ultra gold mc cartridge.I  have one and wouldn't settle for anything less for the money. The tt cost $1,999 and you can settle for for a master tracker  mm cartridge for an additional $800.00  ( the mc cartridge costs $1,400.00).. It is belt driven which doesn't vibrate like direct drive and the belt is installed on the outside so it's super easy to set up and change (if you have to). I have used the same belt for over 2 years now with no problems and it sounds great.  Go online and look up Music Direct to see what you're getting. While you're at it, take a look at their mobile fidelity original master recording Lp's. You will be very happy with the sound and it's comparable to any tt 5k and up. Music direct is the parent company for mobile Fidelity.

@sheridanmartinj @mijostyn is an extremist (in a good way 😉) and obviously didn't see your $3K budget. But he does raise a good point that the Eclipse/Condor can be added later when budget fits for that. 

As a Nova VI owner, I almost jumped on a series V, but learned from Donna at Sota that the new VI series improvements are NOT all available on the V and older tables. That led me to wait for a new VI, and live with a lower cost arm for now. I want to leverage Sota's long term upgradeability and with a VI, you should be compatible with any improvements likely to come in the next decade or so. 

If there are any refurb VI series available that would be smart. Another option is to ask her if there are any B-grade plinths available. I saved ~$200 getting a walnut plinth with a tiny imperfection that you can barely see if looking for it! Cheers,

Spencer
My advice: Call Donna! Cheers,

Spencer

"Direct drive is better than belt drive."

In the grand scheme of things, that's simply not true.

Anyway why spend $3K? The new Technics for $1800 is excellent! Direct drive is better than belt drive. Money saved can go to a new mc cartridge.

No need to change the Rega arm right away! Just add a better mc cartridge. You can do that before purchasing a Sota TT. A Hana EL is an easy recommendation. That on your Ariston would be a significant upgrade.

I would second the recommendation of @noromance and get a "restored" Sapphire.  I did that recently and couldn't be happier.  You'll be right at your budget for just the table, but you already have an arm and cart and can upgrade later.  Mine came with the Eclipse motor and Condor PSU (built in, not external) and the mag-lev bearing.  Call Sota and talk to Donna.

Mijo, I am surprised you advise skipping the Eclipse upgrade. Is that because of the added cost? IMO, the Eclipse mod is so key to the best performance of a SOTA TT that I’d advise the OP to get it done and wait on the new tonearm purchase until finances permit. Also , while all the tonearms you name are excellent choices, do any fall within the budgetary limits?

Go for the new Sapphire and skip the Eclipse package. Put the money into a better arm. You are a little limited with arms. All the Regas and Origin Live arms fit. The Kuzma 4 Point 9 fits and the Schroder CB fits. Some people say they have mounted Reed arms but I question that due to the weight of the VTA Tower. The Schroder CB was made for Sota turntables. I have one on a Cosmos. 

SOTA makes a good turntable. You will also get a significant performance improvement if you shed the Rega tonearm, although you may want to move it to the SOTA, and then upgrade the tonearm later

https://sotaturntables.com/restored-turntables/