Advice and recommendations needed for a turntable rig...

Looking for advice from those who have used any TT set up and why.

Why is easy. Vinyl pulls you into the music more than digital IMO. I think the biggest reason may be the ritual. Every 20 minutes or so you are going to have to do the dance, (the ritual). IOW it makes you pay attention and keeps you involved. Whenever I listen to digital I have a tendency to let my mind wander which turns into not really listening to the music. it has become a background event rather than the main event. I also believe there is something about the quality of sound from vinyl. Back in the CD player times, the advertising always mentioned the player having an analog sound.. So why not listen to vinyl? My system is skewed toward the vinyl so to say my digital is an unfair comparison. But I do like the convenience of digital. And it sounds pretty good.

Now about the ritual. Are you ready for the ritual? That’s what I usually ask the younger crowd.I suspect you remember the rituals, etc. But If you don’t like the ritual you won’t like vinyl all that much. BTW clean records are a necessity.

I’m partial to VPI TT’s I had several prior to my Teres and liked them. There are 2 rightn now that fit the bill for your budget on the 1st page of USAM. I lean more towards this one which has extras. But the TNT is a good deal too.

VPI Aries 3 with upgrades For Sale - US Audio Mart

good luck & Happy hunting

Again guys, thanks for the recommendations. I have an old friend, Mike, for whom I have been close with off and on for decades. He passed with Covid about 1 year ago and his wife told me he wanted me to have his turntable and albums. We used to listen to the Beatles when we were early teenagers. The Dual TT is shot, but I now have 3 crates of old albums. I think buying a TT and listening to those records will help keep my good memories of him alive. So that will be part of the ritual for sure. I have waiting long enough to do this, even though I am a digital guy now. I do understand the big investment part. My budget is upper limit, I might spend much less but I will need a decent phono stage, since I don’t currently have one.

@2psyop  

Sorry to hear about your friend's passing. Old friends like that are a treasure chest of memories. I have a notion that whatever TT you end up with will be a very enjoyable time. 

@bigtwin

"Vinyl strikes me as a waste in 2024." Really! The OP was not asking for opinions on what people think of vinyl. He is looking for..."advice and recommendations for a turntable rig." I don’t see how your opinion helped him. Apparently, reading comprehension is not your strong suit.