Wow I listened to my old AR ES1 last night

Well, it depends on what you mean by improvement. A Well Tempered Classic can be had (used) for around $700 and it will put to shame just about anything short of the big buck turntables. If you want a serious improvement, you'd have to consider a VPI Aries or a Basis 2001... I'd just as well spend the difference on buying records. I have a WTT and a VPI TNT 2.5. Yes the TNT is better but I can listen to the WTT without fell like I'm missing out.

I dropped a wad of money on Basis 2001, Van Den Hull Frog, modified Rega RB300, and Sonic Frontiers Phono One. This system kills my old AR/ES-1 in terms of detail, soundstage, etc, and it demonstrates the superiority of analog over cd to new-bees, BUT.....

my old AR/ES-1 with stock arm and a simple MM cartridge (Rega) sounds WONDERFUL. It sounds rich and beautiful and certainly has enough detail for me to enjoy the music.

I don't regret my purchase - my system is awesome - but I can tell you that if I had to live forever with that AR/ES-1, I'd be happy too.

Art

Take a look at the Teres turntables at www.teresaudio.com
They are great sounding tables in the price range you are looking for.

I really can't say enough about how good the Nottingham Spacedeck/Spacearm sounds with the right cartridge. There is one up right now on the 'Gon (no I don't know the seller). In the neighborhood of the asking price and the rest on a cartridge to equal the $2500 budget indicated, you'd have a table very hard to beat. Easy to set up and mount and a pleasure to sit back and listen. I've had a Linn in the "old days", a VPI Jr., and Rega P25 and the 'Not humbles each by a wide margin in terms of musicality, pace, and deep extended sound on both ends of the spectrum, as well as in between.