Get a long standing domestic manufacturer like VPI. Get their basic model with a low end cartridge. They have many upgrades including tonearms ,plus you can upgrade the cartridge as finances allow. I wish I had got a decent turntable and upgraded that route but I had to have a $500 cartridge on a $500 TT. Later when I had got a nice setup 5k plus my 2k cartridge failed and in a pinch I bought a BOTL $35 Audio technica cartridge. I was floored when it touched down. The lions share of performance was there. I realized I should have listened 35 years ago and bought a good TT first. Years ago an advisor to POTUS said about winning the next election, " its the economy stupid" .In this case I wish the salesman had beat it in my brain "Its the Turntable stupid" LOL