2000 for turntable and arm.....

better put the cartridge in your equasion - the type of cartridge you use will determine the arm or visa versa, and the cartridge has much to do with soundstage, speed etc. have you figured out which one you are going to use?

I bet everyone here knows what I am about to say. The Teres 135 with Origin Live OL-1 arm(modded RB250), and a Denon DL103R(low-output MC). That puts you at slightly over $2k with everything including cartridge. Assuming your phono stage has a MC input with enough gain, you're all set. IMO, these 3 items are all the best value for dollar in their respective categories, and together they make a fantastic sound at a great price. Take a look at the Teres line-up at www.teresaudio.com

I stay with my Michell Gyro SE/Incognito RB300. A great combo for $2000 but you'll probably have to search for used to fit into the budget. Hook it up with Benz Glider that have literally any suitable output for any descent phono stage and finally tweak it with Walker Discs(3) that are parts of a Valid Points. This is my setup except I use Lyra Helikon right now instead of Glider. It plays any type of music. It's best with instrumental jazz and sophisticated electronics.

Nottingham Interspace with Dynavector 20X-H would be my recommendation. That's almost exactly $2k and we sell the setup pretty steadily. I don't think you can do better for the money.

Get a Linn Valhalla with an Ittok.