Advice - What turntable should I buy ???

It sounds like you want to get back in with the least fuss. A turntable/arm combo with dealer-installed cartridge is your best option in that case. At that budget, you may want to commit to MM carts, many of which are as good as anyone really can ask for. Ortofon and Nagaoka have a nice range that allows you to move up as finances permit. They work fine on modern,relatively low cost "medium compliance-friendly" arms like the REGA 202/303. Used Bottlehead Seduction phono stages come up for sale pretty regularly at under $300 or so and are very good. Other MM stages of similar or lower cost are out there, though I've not owned or heard them.

I seriously thought about the VPI Aries 3 when I was looking. I ended up buying a used Clearaudio Innovation Wood Compact with their Universal arm. This table has a magnetic bearing and an electronic speed control. The magnetic bearing is really nice. There is absolutely no friction. With the belt removed, a little push and the platter will spin almost forever.

One of the concerns I had about buying one of the entry level combo tables was, would I quickly out grow it. I didn't want to be looking for a new table in a year.

That was one of the things I really liked about the Clearaudio Innovation Wood. I wasn't going to out grown this table any time soon.

I went down this road 7-8 years ago, and it can be a bumpy one. My own lack of knowledge was my biggest stumbling block.

I would advise you to read as much as you can regarding arm and cartridge set up before purchasing.

I, in a fit of naievety, bought an entry level table and cart, thinking that was all I would need. Wrong. Upgrades in all aspects of record playback ensued for several years, much of it caused by not knowing how to get the most out of whatever equipment (analog) I had at the time, before moving up in quality and expense.

I got to the point where I realized my mistakes, and am now more than happy with my current vinyl rig.

After enjoying a VPI Signature Scout for several years, I decided I wanted a vintage table, and that's what I will keep for the long haul. Don't get me wrong, the Scout sounded very good, but it couldn't hold a candle in looks or performance, to my DIY Garrard 401.

Before buying, try to listen to tables you are conisdering purchasing, if you have to travel to dealers, so be it.

Go slow, and learn about the subject. As with all things audio, it's a complicated subject, with a nearly unlimited amount of options to choose from.

Do enjoy the trip, though.

Regards,
Dan

For your needs, I'd keep it simple...a pre-packaged combo like a Clearaudio Concept w/MM, Music Hall MMF 5.1 w/MM, VPI Nomad (or Traveler if you can stretch ), Rega P3 with cart, etc. Lots of great choices at this price point.

What may be more important is to find a dealer you trust and who will support you through the process...TTVJ and Needledoctor have both been around a long time, for example, and can probably make some pretty good recommendations if you give them some background re: your needs. They're also offer 30-day return policies on most gear, which to me is critical in your case.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to all the great responses - This definitely helps guide me towards several options that I can begin to research at my leisure. These appear to be pretty smart options and I am certainly interested in keeping the exponential decaying curve of performance versus cost in the realms of sensible reality (not a cheap skate but appreciate a value for cost solution) - my better half begs to differ !!!! - thanks to all.