If I were to replace my VPI Airies1 with a 4k or so budget?

Thanks for all this- very interesting.  I should have added to all of this that . I also the VPI SDS- so unless the Sota controller is so much better I'd probably stick with the SDS, no?

@ millercarbon
You raise an interesting point re the phono.  I assumed that I phono board addition to an integrated might be more cost effective that a whole new separate box and that that would imply that for the same price it might be a little better.  Sounds like I have it backwards.  That said I have afriend who owns an Aesthetix Janus preamp and he suggests it is in most cases superior external phono's within the same general price range.  I have much less experience with phono's than with other equipment but I will say his vinyl system sounds amazing.  Anyway, thank for raising the point- maybe Aesthetix is an exception considering who Jim White is and should porbably rethink some of my assumptions.

Also, I think that if I am going to go integrated I am going to look for something that has a higher quality volume control than the Blue Velvet- as good as this potentiometer is I have heard in a head to head comparison what a better volume control can do.

You can use a variac instead of an SDS or other controller.  Start the platter with full voltage, then dial back to 65% of "wall voltage" after the platter gets up to speed.  Does the same thing as an SDS at less than $100.  
  

The variac adjusts the voltage.  There is no need to adjust the frequency.unless there is a problem with the pulley size.  A VPI pulley is stepped to adjust between 33 /13 and 45 RPM.  The 60hz line frequency does not vary.  That's a myth.

 By now, I thought you guys would know that the SOTA  eclipse motor controller system is a highly sophisticated device based on the now discontinued phoenix engineering products. As such it is miles ahead of a VPI SDS and light years ahead of using a variac. But I know this won’t dissuade you. Anyone who is interested ought to do some reading on the subject. My point was that the outboard fly wheel is of some value, however minimal, to regulate speed, and the SOTA eclipse system is at the other end of the spectrum, the best you can get right now in an aftermarket product. I say this as the owner of the original Phoenix engineering system, which has transformed every turntable I have applied it to. I would not dream of having a belt drive turntable without a device of this type, and right now this is the only device of it’s type.