Turntable under $1500 ..... Rega, clearaudio, or ?

Used Spacedeck/Spacearm, or Well Tempered Classic. Unlike some of the other "affordable" tables, you won't feel the need to upgrade anytime soon.

The Clearaudio Concept seems to be a good candidate. It has received many awards here in the U.S. and in England. What Hi-Fi awarded it Turntable of the Year in 2009. Around $500 or so, Rega is a good one.

I used to own the Well-Tempered Classic that sold for $1,800 retail back in the 90s. It is still a very good table. Used should be under $1,000. But some folks don't like its looks.

Does $1500 include the arm and cartridge??
I would consider
Sota
Origin Live
in addition to the others mentioned.

For a first table I generally recommend buying from a local dealer who can make sure everything is set up correctly and can show you the ropes as far as TT basics goes (VTA, VTF, Azimuth, Cartridge compliance etc..)

Once you are comfortable setting up a TT yourself then I'd recommend looking at used tables for your next purchase as the value proposition is generally much better.

If you are already comforable setting up a TT or are a DIY kind of person, then you can probably skip my first step and buy used without a problem. My personal bias in belt drive tables that provide good value are Nottingham and Well Tempered.

Finally, if you need to buy a phono stage, don't skimp here. The phono stage has a meaningful impact on sound quality. Bite the bullet and get a good one.

Rega Dealer Disclaimer******

If your $1500 price is just for the table and arm, then I would suggest perhaps waiting for a couple weeks for the new Rega RP6 to come out. It falls right at your price and looks like it will be a quite a nice table.

If you are looking at $1500 for everything, then be sure and take a look at an RP3 with a TTPSU. This option would leave you about $300 for cart purchase.

Good Luck!

Taylor
www.goldprintaudio.com