Sent Back the Pro-ject Turntable: What would be the best option in the $1800 range?

That big magnetic menace under the platter will scramble the coils of any cartridge.

It never happens, how about Technics SP10 mk II and mk III or SP10R with motor under the platter, anyone complains? Never heard about it.

Direct Drive turntables sound awful and the cheep ones are even worse.

Very funny, it ain’t cheap, and made better than $10k belt drives.

The Technics arm tube rings like a bell. Just turn up the volume and tap it with a pencil.

Which Technics armtube? Do you mean an old SL1200 mk2 discontinued many years ago? New tonearm on $1700 GR is magnesium and does not ring, it’s actually a completely different turntables compared to old $400 SL1200mk2 with $100 Arm.

You are comparing apples to oranges. Ever tried Titanium Technics EPA-100 or Boron EPA-100 mk2 tonearms ? The best arms ever made, Van Den Hul is using EPA-500 or EPA-100 to test his cartridges.  

chakster, If the Technics turntables were the last turntables on earth I would sell all my vinyl and commit 100% to digital. Yes, they are beautifully made and that is the trap. They are also cheap and that is the hook. The SP 10 is just expensive beautifully made junk. Get yourself an Techdas Air Force 1 Improved. Now that is a real turntable. Of course if you can't afford it then get a SOTA Cosmos Vacuum which will get you 95% of the way there at a very reasonable price. Your choice of tonearm. I recommend the SAT arm or you could find an old Syrinx PU 3 and get 95% of the way there. 
See Chakster the mistake you are making is that turntables are an art form and the Technics just does not cut it. It is the Toyota of turntables.
No emotion, lifeless, bland. It takes the joy out of spinning vinyl. In short, YUK. 

The Techdas Air Force 1 is a really nice looking TT.  If someone can show me where I can find it in the OP's $1800 price range, I'd sell my beloved 1200G and buy one in a heartbeat. 

I like my pro-ject the classic sb.....personally, I would not even buy anything below this from pro-ject. The evo classic looks to be an even better turntable with many improvements, including a new precision machined aluminum sub platter, an evo inverted bearing with four ABEC7 spec ballraces borrowed from their 175 VPO turntable, an improved carbon fiber/aluminum evo tone arm, improved arm bearings, a stiffer suspension, and improved speed box performance, and a ortofon quintet red moving coil cartridge....A crazy good table @ 1700 bucks. Take the red off and put on a quintet bronze or black and I’d venture to say it would be a killer table.

https://www.project-audio.com/en/product/the-classic-evo/

Here’s Fremer's review of the classic sb

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/pro-ject-classic-sb-superpack-turntable-%E2%80%9Cbrains%E2%80%9...

A Positive feedback review of the sb

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/pro-ject-the-classic-sb-turntable/

And CNET (audiophiliac) on the sb....

https://www.cnet.com/news/pro-jects-turntable-makes-you-want-to-get-up-and-dance/

And to think that the Evo classic betters it, wow...and for relatively cheap money, what a great time to be an audiophile I’d say....

About the fifth turntable I ever purchased was an entry level upscale turntable the Pro-Ject RM 5.1 SE Pro-Ject with the Black Speed Box S 60Hz. A beautiful looking deck. After awhile I noticed a hum and even after making sure the TT was grounded and still there was a humming issue. However I still loved the sound that came out of it.

It was not until after a number of evenings falling asleep with the stylus being played over and over on whatever record I had on it, I opted for the auto return the Technics and Pioneer turntables I already owned.

And this probably will get the turntable purist really pissed off, but one of the reasons the Technics SL-1500C is selling is because of the auto return function that the G, GR and others don’t have.