Is a GREAT turntable under $2000 possible???

@knollbrent

I’m thinking the Lehman black cube statement and the Orotfon Quintet Bronze Cartridge will pair nicely.

Why do you think so? Just because someone use it ?

JLTi phono stage from Australia is amazing, with this phono stage you can try different loading with MM and MC cartridges.

If you’re looking for a new cartridges i would recommend to try Garrott P77i MM, if you need a LOMC and your phono stage is very good then look for the Audio-Technica.

Vintage cartridges like the AT-ML170, Grace F14, Stanton CS-100 WOS, Glanz MF-61, Pioneer PC-1000mkII are superior to the most of the modern LOMC and definitely much better than modern MM.

P.S. you need step-down transformer for japanese electronics, they are on ebay, Super SD-30 (30w) is what i've been using for my SP-10mkII before i bought 1000w step-down trans to connect everything. 

You should not plug the Japanese version directly into your US wall outlet as this will result in a 20% over voltage - it possibly could handle it for a while but you’d be pushing the internal regulators pretty hard. Their heat sinking is designed to only dissipate so much.  The small step down trafo I recommend above will do the job easily it’s rated, optimistically @ 500W, your turntable draws less than 10W.

You certainly can get better ones, in our GrooveMaster Turntables, the versions based upon the Denon DP80 which was only made as a 100V unit, I install a custom made made step down isolation transformer for an example.

Good Listening 

Peter 

IMHO, the best way to go if you are a discerning buyer, is to get a used table/arm and maybe cartridge ensemble that cost up to $6K for your $2K.....

People that own that sort of table tend to take very, very good care of them and you can find some excellent deals from some poor misguided audiophile who has decided to go over to the dark (digital) side.  You might luck into some hard to find LPs, too.

Excellent advice everyone. Thank u Peter @pbnaudio for the headsup!

The new Mobile Fidelity turntable goes for under $2000 and supposedly is quite good for the money.  Recently a nearby high end audio dealer dropped Rega and now only carries Music Hall and Mobile Fidelity in his lower cost turntable offerings.  I myself was able to purchase a mint Thorens/Rabbo combination for $950 so there is always the used market as well.  Of course I would have to pay considerably more to do better than my Thorens/Rabco combo.  Oh yes, I also have an original AR turntable which works quite well for my small audio system.