TT suggestion in the $7 - 10K range?

2nd the recommendation for the Well Tempered Amadeus for a table below your price range. In your price range, I recommend the Dynavector DV500 Amadeus, or even better, the Ayre-DPS.

Personally, I would stick to a table with strong customer support. Truthfully, I have never heard the Ayre table, but I know the company and have only the highest praise for their products and their support. That is true as well for VPI. There are many more VPI's/models to be had, but you should see them and do your own evalutaions.

I will second the recommendation on the Sota Cosmos IV. I run mine with a SME 309 arm and Lyra Delos cartridge and it provides the best overall sound I have heard in my system. In the price range you are looking at, I think it is unbeatable.

I am quite surprised that the range of recommendations is so narrow (except for Peter's), given the highly permissive price range. I would say that, before you spend any money, you should go wherever necessary and LISTEN to a wide variety of turntables that are within your price range, new or used. Also, it would be foolish to exclude categorically direct-drive and idler-drive options. Take 6 months, if necessary. It will be a rewarding effort. It will also be difficult to control for tonearm/cartridge combinations that have a huge effect on sonics. After a while, you will develop some skill to separate the "sound" of the tt from that of the tonearm/cartridge.

The Tonearm will of course play vital with a reference rig.

Reckon you won't go too far in that realm with a $7K Table, and a $400 arm.

If somebody here would hand me a blank check, I can't help thinking about somebody like Galibier Design. Something about a 40+ lb Platter sounds might sweet to me! lol

Of course their Stelvio II with Arm will set you back a might more than $7K.