Advice and recommendations needed for a turntable rig...

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.

I would look at VPI. The VPI Scout 21 would be a good choice. My first foray into high end tables was a VPI. It was a great choice. I think I prefer heavy tables overall.

@2psyop 

If you want to see what vinyl play is like today but are a bit unsure how it will sound, Fluance TT's have a range of players which include the TT, arm, and cartridge.  If you go to at least the RT82, it will give you a good sounding system if you upgrade the cartridge one notch.  Step up to the top of the line RT85 and you get the upgraded platter, cartridge.  You could buy a better version of a phono preamp and save a lot of money.  The RT85 sells for only $500 delivered to your door.  The plinth on the RT82 on up is all wood.  I have a very high end system and my best friend bought the RT82 w/ upgraded cartridge.  We had about 5 people go listen to this system and were amazed at the authentic sound quality it provided.  Do yourself a favor and look up their TT's on line.  This system would keep you involved for many years and maybe more.  You could have it set up within about 20 minutes of getting it out of the box.  The price seems like a misprint, but these babies are for real.  I've had many very good turntable/arm combos.  The Fluance TT's will make you feel foolish for what very good tables cost.  I wish I were kidding about the SQ and the looks, but they are for real.  Rated the Best Buy in TT/arm/cartridge combos.  My TT weighs in at 120 lbs.  It sounds fantastic when all is working well.  My cartridge costs over $2500 alone.  The only drawback is you can't use most high end cartridges with the Fluance arms.  The cartridge they use is very good sounding.  You will not have much to brag about because of the price, but the SQ will make up for it.  Put the extra money into a much better phono preamp.  If you have never heard one of the upper end Fluance TT's, don't bash it on price or prestige, just because it costs a fraction of what many have invested in their analog setups.  

Bob