Can a $3K table be among the best out there?

Check out the Trans Fi Audio Salvation direct rim drive tt with it's Terminator T3Pro air bearing linear tracking arm. £2400 UK price, $4000-$4500 US price. I have it, and believe it beats tt/arms over 5x the price. Most bang for buck in analogue, or audio generally, today. IMHO.

Sota Saphire is definitely a world class table, and it has a good suspension.

I own the Townshend Rock 7. I've been listening to vinyl as my main source since 1973 and I am a picky SOB. I would easily put my TRock up against tables many times its price. The reason behind my confidence is not the overall build quality (there are certainly better fit & finish examples out there at higher price points), but one ingenious feature that puts it in class by itself: the fluid filled trough and head shell assembly.

Although The Well tempered also uses a viscous fluid to damp vibrations in the tonearm, the Rock does it at the cartridge! This neutralizes so much of the vibration that the stylus is normally susceptible to and allows it to convey its minute signals down the chain uncolored by vibrations except those it tracked in the grooves.

The amazing result is that the tonearm becomes less important. I have the Townshend Excalibur 3 arm, but even a good Rega arm sounded absolutely breathtaking.

I'm listening to the Beatles White Album as I write this and the sound is so alive and musical that it's difficult to focus on this post. Feel free to ask any questions, I'm going to focus on the music for a while.

The Well Tempered arm is the only arm I know of that can survive a test record resonance test without literally flying of the record. There are no bearings in the arm.

When you first handle the arm you'll immediately feel the resistance in all directions provided by the oils viscosity. The ingenious sensibility is instantly
apparent.

The polished plater spindle is immersed in a lighter oil supported four nylon dots. The drive belt applies a constant load to the spindle against the oil bathed dots so there is no chatter whatsoever.

No. A new $3K TT can be pretty good and maybe all some people need but I've never heard one I would consider among the best. It's just not possible to build and market a TT for that price and get top performance.

With the right knowledge and skills you might be able to DIY one for $3K if you don't account for time and labor.