Used turntable & arm combo for under $2500.0

the well tempered, the nottingham, michell, linn etc.....there are lots of great combos for under 2.5k

Most suspension type tables are more tweeko than unsuspended tables. The draw back of an unsuspended table is it needs a solid vibration free platform to reside on. I opted for a Scout after much research. Upgradable, and as set-it-and-forget-it as anything out there. You can pick up a new Scout and jmw 9 arm for around $1600 leaving plenty of cash for a cart. Good used ones are an even better deal. Best bet is to go listen to a few different types of tables & see what you like. I live 60 miles from the vinyl capital of the world, so it was easy for me to do so, you might not be as fortunate to have good analog dealers in your area.

I would look for a VPI ScoutMaster with the 9" JMW arm, which can then be upgraded to the Super level ( or not) if you wanted to push the performance to amung the very best. The Scoutmaster is easy to set up,is not at all tweaky, and should give you years of analog listening pleasure. You ought to be able to find one used in your budget along with a decent cartridge, as a new one is about $2500 or so. Good Luck!

Try the VPI TNT3, Aries 1 or 2 all with the older JMW10. VPIs are all upgradeble and easy to resell in the used market. The brand speaks for itself.

Dear Norm: In my opinion you have to go first for the TT alone, the tonearm choice must be decided along with the cartridge choice because these couple have to be matched between them, of course that is important too which tonearm with which TT but is more critical which tonearm with which cartridge.

If you follow that explanation then my advise is to go for an Acoustic Signature Final Tool, its performance is for a TT 2-3 times its price: www.acoustic-signature.com

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.