Help me decide on first turntable purchase

Save some coin and try a U-Turn. They have units with built in phono stages. Will it be better than the other tables mentioned? No. Will you have it unboxed and playing records to a satisfactory degree in 15 minutes after unboxing? Yes. Resale is pretty good. If it turns out vinyl is not your thing, no big loss. 

Audio-Technica LP-7

Built in Phono MM+MC+ Facility for external
Stylus upgrade possible without having to buy new cartridge

I have the Mofi Ultradeck with the Ultra cartridge and the Manley Chinook MK II with the better tubes and higher gain. My wife and I danced and smiled a lot. Have it now couple years. Play Ella and Louis, Nina Simone sings the blues, Star Wars soundtrack, Black Keys the Breaks, Gillian Welch the Revelator, Sturgil Simpson High Top Mountain, Chris Stapleton… we are focusing on enjoying the music and I love this dynamic TT ! Enjoy my friend 

Hello,
I am not an expert my any means. I go to MC for advise.  If you can live without the Rega NEO speed controller for now I would go with the Rega P3. If you are going from 331/3 to 45 you will need to shift the belt under the platter. Rega carts are good but I feel you have more options. I say get the table without the cart. Buy a nice cart. Dynavecktor has a 10x5 mk2 MC in low or high output. So you set your phono preamp to MM for the high output or MC for the low output. I own it and it sounds really good. You can go with the Schiit Mani which I also own. Again it is great for the money but it is a little basic. Some of the Rega guys can get you into a $1200 preamp. Or buy the Rega P3 which now comes with the better Exact cartridge for $1200. If you can open up the wallet just a little more I would go with the Hegel V10. This even has balanced outputs, big sound and resolution for the money. The reason I am telling you about this setup is I own it or have tested it. Plus, When you upgrade you can do so to the table and even add the speed controller. Or sell it or trade it in on your next table. The P3 is very popular to sell because it’s a great starter table, has tons of upgrades you can do as money comes in, and isn’t out of people’s price range like the P6 can be. So $3250 before tax and you will be amazed by the sound. Or stay within budget by getting the Exact cartridge. Or go slightly over budget with the Exact cartridge and the Neo speed controller. If someone lives near the Chicagoland area this store has Rega, Dynavecktor, and Hegel. https://holmaudio.com/
I hope this helped. 

OP

For me, even 3K is too much to determine if someone would stick with Vinyl. I’d rather spend the difference on musical content, and upgrade later.

I agree, I don’t like the Technics Metal/Plastic Look (however...).

Your Speakers and Equipment, the sound In your Space, is established. It comes down to: Vinyl, opposed to CD’s and/or Streaming: Surprise: Vinyl Sounds Good! Is it Worth the Work? Do you like the hands-on involvement?

I suggest a lower cost start, ascertain future intentions, learn fundamentals, then, with some acquired knowledge and skills, move up. Keep, sell, give away the initial TT and Cartridge.

Cartridge Alignment is FUNDAMENTAL, I strongly advise an OEM pre-mounted cartridge. Stick with it? then acquire alignment skills PRIOR to upgrading.

I also advise starting with a MM Moving Magnet type, Elliptical Stylus Shape to keep initial costs down.

I prefer Direct Drive, Quartz Locked, however ANY decent TT will produce accurate enough speed, and low enough wow, flutter: IOW, IMO, specs will not be the reason you stick with or don’t stick with Vinyl.

All Phono Cartridges (except horribly expensive Strain-Gauge) require a Phono Stage to provide signal Equalization (cut highs/boost lows) prior to volume control and amplification.

Some starter TT’s have built-in OPTIONAL Phono EQ. Again, ’good enough’ to ascertain Yea or Nay. Then, finding a Phono EQ with better/preferred sound is one of the trickiest parts of refining LP’s sound. I always advise return options for phono stages. This forum is filled with this and that about Phono EQ, happiness and discouragement, big money can be joyful or misspent.

PHONO EQ., my trail

Old Days, prior to CD: Tube Receivers; Tube Preamps; SS Receivers; SS Preamps. Then, after CD: I had a highly respected McIntosh C28 Solid State Preamp, overhauled by the factory. I actually preferred the AT120’s dinky built-in phono eq. I changed to McIntosh Tube Preamp mx110z, it’s MM Phono EQ is wonderful, I’ll never look for better. In my office, just to get a TT going, I bought a a $14. Pyle Phono EQ., sounded decent. Upgrade: I tried a Cambridge Duo, nah, sent it back. Got a Luxman with phono EQ, love it.

COMPARISON:

For direct comparison, buy both CD and LP versions of music you are familiar with and love. In addition we can suggest specific music, excellently engineered, importantly superb imaging, that will help you decide.

A single suggestion, 3 master guitarists, superb recording and imaging:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_Night_in_San_Francisco

STARTER TT

So: as an ugly Technics Look start, I can tell you, I believe this is a very good starter TT, good enough to determine future intentions with Vinyl, then ditch the ugly thing:

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-LP120XUSB-Direct-Drive-Hi-Fidelity-Anti-Skate/dp/B07N3S4X3P...

I used one for years, upgraded the stylus, changed the cartridge, used it’s built-in Phono EQ. Enjoyably. It could better the CD versions. Then, after research, acquired skills, got my Vintage Wood TT shown here, selected it's 3 tonearms, 3 cartridges, tried my first MC cartridge, bit by bit, all with help from members here.

https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/9511

I gave the AT120 to someone like yourself getting back into vinyl.

Then the world of upgrades lies beyond.