Turntable setup under $2000?

Some good advice given, but don't forget the isolation issue. I have springy wood floors and when I got my first tt the mid-2000s (after giving up vinyl in the 80s) it was a total nightmare. I looked at the table the wrong way and the arm went flying. Totally solved by a Target wallshelf, but I just saying - make sure you have a good, stable place to put the table. It is a big part of analog. I vote for a Music Hall MMF7 for your tt. Comes all complete with a nice, pre-mounted cart, a decent arm, dustcover... This should keep you busy for a couple of years. When you're buying your first, you shouldn't have to worry about all these adjustments. Just play records. Later on, you can get into the minutae.

No offense, but you are rapidly sliding down to audio hell, IMO. You have a budget of 2K max. Just get the best Rega or Music Hall you can afford and live with it for a couple of years. Both of these tables are capable of very good performance and have a minimum of adjustments to fool with. Then, after you've formed a reference in your mind, you can listen to other tts or carts and mix and match or whatever. This is only my opinion, so feel free to pursue whatever avenues you deem appropriate. There are many audiophiles who prefer screwing around with the gear to actual listening, which is totally cool - spend your money how you like and play with the stuff how you like.