Turntable advice


Hey there, I was wondering if anyone has any advice on a turntable and cart. I was looking at the rega p6 but the lack of vta and azimuth adjustment turned me off, I mainly listen to hip hop/ soul/ funk/ jazz and blues for the cart reference. Im looking to spend around 2-3500 with the cart price included if possible but could stretch a bit if need be. Mainly my concerns are ease of cartridge adjustment and alignment  or a clear path for adjustment if something has a known quirk. I still haven’t decided on a phono or amp either if anyone has any advice there. Budget for those is around 1500 give or take for both. 
 

i appreciate any advice in advance ! 

waroftheants

There is endless chatter on forums about the Rega philosophy and mass, etc. But Rega is a successful company, started in the 70s with lots of dealership support.

If you stay with Rega cartridges then there really is very little fiddling needed. Rega is one of those brands with component system synergy. So, if considering the P6 or P8 you need to listen to the Ania Pro or new Apheta 3 plus the Rega Aria phono stage. They all work together well. 

If you are an audiophile who likes to play and swap things around this is not the system for you. If you want a “I just want to enjoy my records” guy then at this price point Rega is still worth checking out even if for comparison evaluations only.

I reread your question. Tell us about your speakers. If you need an amp and phono stage then this mission will need more time, research and a working budget overall. 
 

Do you also listen to digital? Do you own records? If you don’t have a record collection be advised that not everyone who dashes out and spends real money on a turntable station will stay committed to collecting expensive records to make this whole thing worthwhile. 
 

Your first turntable does not have to be your endgame table. Pick a model with solid resale value if you decide to change course…

Pioneer PLX1000 ($700) and a Hana SL mc cartridge ($750). This combination is competitive with other four-figure setups.

So my budget for the table is 2-3500 preferably with the cart price included. I don’t have phono Stage or (headphone) amp yet (I plan to listen on headphones for a bunch of reasons.) my main concern other than sound and stability ( I will have it placed on a piece of furniture on a wood floor) is ease of cartridge alignment and adjustments (the p6 and it’s vta and azimuth inability to adjust kinda turns me off from it for that much money) I have another 1500 or so set aside for the phono stage and headphone amp so all told like 5k for the phono, headphone amp, TT, and cart and probably another 5-800 for headphones. I own some records and would like to expand my collection. Digital Is my only really listening venue atm because of having no analog gear and I mainly stream on tidal on earbuds or in the car. It dosent really need to fit into my turntable equation because it will be in a seperate room from my pc. I appreciate the help so far  !