Davidri, Given your criteria, and since you, like most here, appear to believe in a linear relationship between retail price and sound quality, why not just pick between your two choices based on appearance? They are both excellent, and no one is going to be able to tell you that one "sounds" better than the other, if for no other reason than the fact that the tonearm/cartridge synergy has more to do with ultimate sound quality, at this level. FWIW, a person in the industry whom I trust completely told me that the SG is one of his personal favorites.
