Vinyl***What If***

If you go cheap, your robbing yourself of good sounding vinyl.  I went cheap with my first TT and record cleaning methods.  I hated the sound.  Spotify sounded better.  Cd's were even bigger change.  I saved for rainy day fund, for about a year and bought a better TT and record cleaner and accessories.  Spent about 6 or 7k on that.  Then spent another 3k on vinyl.  This hobby is not cheap.  But once your get set-up you do not need to fiddle with anything for awhile.  Then the addiction follows......

Since you have an MM phono stage, stick initially to a MM cart. I really like the grados, and the "back" or Green" is a steal at about $75-100. I actually have a Green is a very hgih end (albeit legacy) table/arm combo and I'm surprised at how good it can be.

Several companies make integrated turntables. Rega is a good one. I don't know what you call reasonable. Noticed a rec for a direct drive turntable. The poster did not justify why.  belt drives isolate the platter form motor vibrations, but can be more susceptible to slippage and speed variations. Most better 'tables are on fact belt drive and i would have nothing else.
here's the simple fact: setup is as or more important than the hardware. Level.  Aligned.  really aligned.  if you don't like to do such, buy it where they will rally get it right, and make sure the table is perfectly level, and on a solid foundation that wont wobble, vibrate, etc.

oh, one more thing. You want cheap but want to hear the magic of vinyl.  While you are at it try being rich on a small, limited income.
Its a tall order.  Vinyl is a fragile medium. Its why digital is so popular - vinyl is a PITA and most often sounds awful. But it CAN be magical.  Rarely magical and cheap though.

Yeah, that's why I'll never be into vinyl. That's also why I'll never understand it.

Granted, I've never heard the "magic" because I've never had or experienced a really good system. It is perfectly possible if I ever did hear that magic I'd be drawn in. Who knows.

It just seems off putting to me that there is a medium that, according to vinyl-philes you absolutely must without exception spend a bunch of money AND be into the fiddly OCD aspects of it AND enjoy that aspect of it for it to be worth it.

I'm not knocking it. I'm glad people like it. But it almost meets clinical criteria for a mental health issue. ;-)

On a more practical note: I have an old Sony TT with a $100 Grado Black cart and a $50 phono-pre-amp running into my otherwise high end system. This allows me to enjoy the few old records I have and to enjoy an occasional new record when the urge to waste money overcomes me. With this set up there is no "magic" whatsoever but perfectly suitable for occasional enjoyment as long as the expectation of "magic" is not obsessed over. 

And for the record, my old Sony TT sits on a slab of marble which sits on sorbothane feet. Seriously.

viridian-"Fantastic Bill! Thank you for sharing."

Thanks!