Pete - enjoy the ride! Analog can be a lot of fun and you can get into a very satisfying rig for the price you’ve quoted.
One of my favorite turntables is a Rega Planar 3 with a Dynavector 17D3 cartridge on it. The cartridge cost way more than the table but the pair is still less than $2k.
There is tons of good advice on this thread. One thing I’ll emphasize is that buying gently used TT, arm and preamp provides a value multiplier that’s hard to beat. A lot of people trade up so gently used gear tends to be available.
I do buy cartridges new because they can be damaged by improper handling and not show any visible sign of abuse.
If you have a dealer nearby, lean on their expertise, especially if they can pull a package together for you and set it up properly. Setup is really important and there is no substitute for experience.
Happy hunting!
Tom
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Main System:
Amati Futura Mains
Amati Homage VOX Center,
Proac Response 1sc Rears,
Three MC2301's for L,C,R
MC 602 for the rears
C 1100, MX 151, MCD 1100, MR 80
Nottingham Dais with Wave Mechanic
Sumiko Palo Santos Presentation
SurfacePro 3, RPi 4, ROON, WW Starlight Platinum USB, Schiit Yggdrasil, Benchmark DAC3 HGC
MX 151, OppO BDP-95, JVC RS-500 DILA projector, 106" diagonal Stewart Luxus Screenwall Deluxe with Studiotek 130 G3 material.
Lake House:
Ohm F, MC 275V, C2300, MR 77, Rega P3
OnDeck:
McIntosh MAC 4300v
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