Your choice - TT, Arm, Stage, Cartridge - $5000 budget

"The VPI Prime seems like a very attractive option for the price it can be found for right now. Really on the verge of pulling the trigger on this one."

whacky-that VPI listing is a good deal. Offer $2200 WITH shipping, 2-300 will buy a cover.

I paid $2500 for a new VPI Classic years ago, and the Prime is a notch better than the Classic. Nicer arm, on the fly VTA. just a better table all around.

Plug that into whatever tubed phono with an ART9 or other LOMC, and you're done. You will have a system equal to a $20K+ new retail rig. IMHO of course.

I use Acoustech PH-1 with MM cartridge. Excellent phono. Designed by Ron Sutherland. Hard to find used and it is no longer made. Sutherland 20/20 should be at least as good, I have not heard it. But that's transistor phono, you can hear it. Go with the tube one. Allnic should be very good. We Nottingham fans pay no attention to VPI. Sorry.

Whacky

To be honest most people are just going to suggest what they have or heard. Problem is that many people never get to compare tables side by side in the same system. Also even if they do some carts work better with different arms, phono stages, amps and speakers. At the end of the day its very subjective and personnel at this price point you are talking about.

A lot of these "Huge " differences are not really huge but subtle and have to do with personnel taste and system matching. Sadly you are not going to get a lot of real head to head comparisons. Trust me I have looked and done tons of research. This hobby always leaves you wondering about if Product x is better than what you bought. The lack of dealers and true head to head reviews kinda puts us all in the situation. Just go with something sold and keep your ears open. A table in this price point should and most likely will sound amazing.

Yup. Choosing table is hard.