Turntable question; Does Audio Technica make any good turntables?

I inherited a bunch of lacquer 78 records and i needed a turntable that would play 78 rpm. I picked up an AT 120USBX and an AT mono cartridge (it comes with a stereo cartridge). Even though it has a built in phono preamp I also got a phono preamp from Emotiva. It works great for 78's but the thing that surprised me is how good it sounds on stereo LPs with the stereo cartridge. My main system has a Krell phono pre, a Denon DP47f turntable, and a Hana SL cartridge.

That little AT turntable sounds better than it has any right to. I have been a fan of AT for a long time and when I had my recording studio I used mostly AT microphones and other AT gear, especially headphones and ear buds. I've been happy with everything I've owned that had the AT brand.

I would avoid Pro-Ject. I've owned an entry level Carbon Debut and a higher-end RPM 10 ($6K). The build quality just isn't good enough.

I believe the lower-end Music Halls are made by Pro-Ject (feel free to correct me if I am mistaken)

I cannot speak to the other brands.

ATLP5 here. Snatched a mint 2nd hand for €100...a bargain. Came with AT95Ex. Easy to set up, great platter mat. I think the arm is the strongest point of this model. The only pitfall is that the TT is pretty sensitive to vibrations so extra care and effort in finding the best isolation setup in the end-user context (flooring, speakers, isolation platform, etc) is a must. Get one and spend the rest of the money on headshells and cartridges. 

The Audio Technica LP120 and LP140 seem to be pretty popular. For ~$500 and under there isn’t a whole lot more you can expect, (at least they aren't Crosleys) so they are definitely good turntables for the money. Only caveat is that a few years ago the LP120 had some issues with the anti-skate not working. That has been remedied in the newer versions. I seriously looked at them when I was buying a TT for my den but ended up going with a U-Turn Orbit Special, I got the upgrade acrylic platter and the Ortofon 2m Red (though I will replace the stylus with a 2m Blue in a few months).

I’ve been pretty happy with it and its quality. You can decide to either get their "OK" Pluto 2 phono amp built-in or not get one if you want to use a better external one, like the price appropriate Schiit Mani or iFi Zen Phono.

Good luck going down the rabbit hole of vinyl...Once you go in, you’ll never go out...

Yes. I liked the AT-LP7 when I had the chance for a long-term audition. It comes with a mid-line VM520EB MM elliptical cartridge for $849, however, I'd upgrade to the 540ML micro-line stylus for $209. It's quite a decent listen.

Another great turntable I've been able to listen to long term is the new U-Turn Audio Orbit Theory. Comes with the Ortofon 2M Blue MM elliptical for $999. One of the best of the breed for the money.