Turntable getting back to vinyl

Turntable gives you a quiet background and stable speed, and therefore low distortion. Or not.

Tonearm allows your cartridge to track properly and give its best performance. Or not.

Cartridge accurately converts the information on the groove into electricity, when it's allowed to. Or not.

Turntables don't wear out. Tonearms don't wear out. Cartridge styli (in your price range) wear out faster than toilet humor. Where to spend the money? I suspect you know.

I heard that the PHONO STAGE is the heart of the vinyl system, and if there’s one place you shouldn’t scrimp it’s there.

I would recommend a Technics SL1700mk2 or the SL1800mk2. Both excellent sounding turntables. Basically the home version of the technics SL1200mk2. 

@brianwillson
This is all you need (all in one), for your budget you can have this turntable for $400-500 if you’re lucky along with p-mount Technics 205c mk4 cartridge or with Technics 310MC cartridge, there is a build-in MC/MM phono stage and LINEAR TRACKING tonearm, they are easy to ship (compact size). You don’t have to mess up with set-up and so on ... Amazing design, fully automatic. Nothing can beat it in this price if you will count the cost of turntable, decent cartridge, linear tracking tonearm, phono stage. Check this out:
http://www.thevintageknob.org/technics-SL-10.html

This should fit very nice for around $300 + cart.
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/turntables-well-tempered-labs-versalex-and-ltd-tonearm-2017-11-06-...