Affordable Turntable Options

Nice choice.  U-Turns strike me as great way to get back into vinyl without spending a lot.  And the solid wood plinth makes them much more attractive.

Don't know what your budget is, but I would recommend the Audio Technica AT-120E/B.  Its the only cartridge in its price class with a nude elliptical stylus similar to that in an Ortofon 2M Blue but for a lot less.

Actually, that cartridge was at the top of my short list....Thanks!

Typo..I meant "it's A great sounding table." Also, I can recommend a Sumiko Pearl cartridge as that's what a nearby Turntable Expert (works at a local high end gear joint) sold me a few years ago after I was whining about the shrill tone I was hearing from a new AT440…again, the Pearl is relatively el-cheapo so some can feel they're not spending enough money, but meh…I like it so much I bought a stylus replacement from the Needle Doctor just to see if I needed it (not sure but I stuck it on anyway and damn, it sounds great), and also asked for some advice about knitting needle repair and the town of Needles, CA, but the Doctor was somewhat less helpful regarding those topics…not sure if those guys are REAL doctors, but the Pearl is great anyway.

Ha! "points" well taken....

Beernut, I started out with a Project Debut and was very pleased with it. For a starting out table it's perfectly fine, ready to go out of the box, and easily upgraded. It wasn't long and I put a new cart on it, and then the acrylic platter. While it's not the table I've got $3 grand in now, it was a nice start. Nothing majorly wrong with it, and maybe as well as you can do at your price point. If you are trying out vinyl, no need in getting too deep before you know if you're going to stick with it. And easy to get back out. But for me, it rekindled my love of vinyl, and got me on my way. I gave it to my son-in-law and now he's vinyl crazy and has moved up to a $1600 outfit. I previously had a 25 year old Denon, and the Project actually sounded better.