Turntable in 20 K$ price range - Design & Music

I like the SG TTs very much but they are out of my price range. I was pleasantly surprised that the Ayre DPS set-up for which I paid $13.5K was nearly as good to my ears as the nearly twice as expensive SG set-up I also auditioned. And I believe the Ayre DPS qualifies as a "beauty" in terms of both looks and sound. You can configure it with a "better" tonearm and cartridge than I have and easily hit or exceed the $20K price figure. Worth an audition IMHO!

I have lost interest in almost all typical so called high end belt-drive turntables that has platters bigger than my rice cooker. The bigger and heavier approach is bordering on the vulgar these days. Aesthetically the Simon Yorke table is eye candy for me and the VPI HRX is an eyesore to me. There are a few BD tables that, at least, look quite elegant and seem to be well engineered, such as the Brinkmann LaGrange, et al. I am a direct drive kinda guy so all my dream machines are from the golden age of DD tables, ie, late 70's to 80's. But it's nice to see a modern DD design like the Monaco and it's also great to know someone actually here heard one and decided to buy one over the SME, which puts a smile in my face. Now, I just need to hear one for myself!

I've heard the Spiral Groove SG1 on numerous occasion, mated with EMT 997 and various Tondose carts. Very very nice...

I say get a 12K table and an 8K Halcyonics active vibration platform to put below it.

I have my Raven One on a Halcyonics, and after hearing it I think more tables should include active vibration isolation.

TT weights has just come out with an amazing all out design that I am dying to hear.