Best turntable for the buck


I now amazingly find that my analog system has fallen behind my digital system in  SQ and I want to investigate how to improve it. 
Currently I have a heavily modified Rega RP3 turntable, with two power supplies, a new platter, sub-platter and other internal enhancements. My cartridge is the Clearaudio Virtuoso.
Not that it’s bad, but I want to look for  something that will significantly improve the sound of my current setup. 
Will about a 4K investment do that?

128x128rvpiano

I'd consider 3 specific areas:

Phono stage - this can make a huge impact alone

Table - I recognize you have a modified RP3, I upgraded a little while ago to the P8 and the improvement in the plinth and tone arm over the P6 was noticeable as was the upgrade from the P3 to P6 using the same catridge.  I don't know the details of your current rig so you may not expeirence the impact I had when I moved from the RP1 to P8.

Cartridge - Can be a huge impact; and if shifting from MM to MC you may want to split the $4 between phono stage and cartridge.

If you ever buy a turntable for a buck, it will certainly be the best turntable for a buck.

I bought once 2 Sansui Fr2040 turntables for $1 each in late 90s. Both worked very nice.

If I was looking for a table, I would definitely look at Well Tempered. They get raves.

How many albums do you own? A $4K investment in digital might be more cost effective. It is the future anyway. 
 

I have equally satisfying, same sounding digital and analog ends… both worth about $45K. If I only had a few hundred albums I would ditch the analog end and just upgrade digital.