End Game Turntable suggestions

I am a DD fan, have a pretty nice restored SP10mk2 with FR64S etc. With that in mind ( and caveat I am the NA representative ) you may wish to know about STST. Very mature DD design made to order for you. The Motus DQ ( sans suspension ) is in your price range. Has vanquished a lot of great contenders. Did I say you get to pick the finishes ? :) 

Solypsa

@mijostyn 

"The job of a turntable is to spin at the proper speed, prevent any spurious vibration from getting to the tonearm and sound like NOTHING. Anything it adds to "the sound" is distortion.

The job of the tonearm is to hold the cartridge solidly in the proper orientation, move to two directions only and absorb any energy coming from the cartridge to prevent it from reflecting. It should also not have a "sound."

The job of the cartridge is to translate the physical waveform on the record into an electrical waveform. It also should not have a "sound."

It is the record that "sounds." A record playing machine should not add or subtract anything to the sound that is on the record. The design of turntables, tonearms and cartridges should be evaluated with this in mind.

A record player is a vibration measuring device. The cartridge has no way of knowing where the vibration is coming from. It will turn any vibration into an electrical signal.

The environment is loaded with vibrational energy and the turntable has to isolate the other parts of the system from all of it.

Mass will not do it.

If a turntable does not have a proper isolation suspension then it should be placed on one.

It is much cheaper if one is built into the turntable.

The Dohmann Helix is probably the epitome of a suspended turntable. The classic is the AR XA followed by the Thorens TD 125 and the Linn LP12.

SOTA was the first to hang a turntable from springs instead of sitting it on top of springs, a much more stable design. Basis, SME and Avid followed suit. 

The RP 10 is a lot of turntable for the money. It is suspended on squishy rubber feet. It has a very stiff chassis and a great tonearm.

Up from that price wise is the Sota Sapphire with a Kuzma 4 Point 9 then up the Sota line to the Cosmos.

At this point we are already above the OP's budget but continuing onwards are the Avid Acutus and the SMEs. Next is Basis then the Dohmann Helix. Both Sota and Basis tables can be had with vacuum clamping.

When a tonearm tracks over warps the groove velocity changes and causes pitch to waver which is painfully obvious and far exceeds the minimal wow and flutter most modern turntables have. Vacuum clamping is the best at flattening the record. Reflex clamping Like the SMEs, the Acutus, non vacuum Sotas and the Helix is second best.

A record weight does little to nothing. Ring clamps are a PITA to use and an accident waiting to happen.

Of the turntables I mentioned above only the Sotas use a magnetic thrust bearing which is an advantage in terms of noise and durability. It does exactly the same thing as Techdas's air bearing at a fraction of the complexity and cost."

Bravo!

What an informative post that was.

It's a pity that posts like yours above can't be pinned for future reference.

This is turning out to be a great discussion, thanks everyone who has contributed.

@paulgardner thanks for the suggestion - I saw the ovation at Expona in action and its stunning, but i thought it was outside my budget. If i recall correctly the were showing them with Sonus Faber speakers; i will scan used market.

@re-lar-kvothe I really like the design and features of the 1601 but really curious if there is anything lacking sound-wise- I just cant find a place to audition it. I have a vintage Kyocera PL-701 semiautomatic with auto lift, what a convenience.

The 1601 is below my budget (even with a great cart), and i am curious what i will miss compared to lets say a used HW-40 if i can get it for abt 10K. Any thoughts welcome. As i raised in my original post, I am surely not chasing the last 5%.

Lastly, @fbgbill thanks for your HW-40 thoughts. Many people raise concerns abt potential future problems if motor goes bad - any idea if VPI stocks these motors? Thanks

And I will add - choosing a turntable is perhaps going to be the hardest purchase decision i have ever made :):) way too many amazing choices....what a privilege to be living in these times....

@mijostyn THANK YOU that was an amazing response and a lot to think about. Having now looked at the Basis Signature 2500 with vacuum, i am going to have sleepless nights....any idea what they fetch in used market? Thanks