I just have to say something about the "high end" label.
It's subjective. I like to compare stuff like this to something everybody understands - Cars.
Entry level TT (under $300). Think Trabant. It will get you there, but it might not be worth the trouble. You may want to save up for something better:
1. Crosley Cruiser.
2. The Audio Technica ATlP60 would be a much better choice.
3. The new cheapie belt drive Crosley and Dual (they are the same table) that look kinda like a Technics 1200 may be a much better choice as well.
Mid-level: Toyota Corolla (with Leather seats) or Buick/Chevy similarly loaded.
1. the Under $600 U-Turn, Pro-ject, Fluance and the rest of the belt drive stable.
2. The Audio Technica ATLP120 group and their equivalent Hanpin direct drive model in other brands.
High End: BMW, top end Volvo, Accura, Cadillac(?), Corvette, Porsche Cayman, Lexus
Turntables better than Mid-level and less than around $2,500.
Exotics:Aston Martin One-77, Lamborghini Veneno, Pagani Huayra, Ferrari F60 America
For turntables, this is the stuff that most humans on the planet see in the same way they see the cars listed above. They're cool, but not only too expensive, but not a practical solution to their situation.
A simple example: I have a 150 mile round trip commute on some of the most fun twisties in the US. I've been through 8 sets of tires, mostly Michellin PSS's, on a Scion FR-S. It is beyond fun. The car now has 180k miles on it with no end in sight. Even if I could have afforded it, I would not have wanted a Huayra for this commute. Those cars are not designed to be driven hundreds of thousands of miles. They are designed to be driven occasionally and marveled at by passers by. And though they are a LOT of fun to drive, most people can not justify their cost when applied to their needs in a car. And I can get my bass and an amp in my FRS and still have a blast.
I love to look at exotic turntables. I love to go to audio shows and marvel at the top notch stuff. I visited the show in Chicago last winter. It was a lot of fun. But since my income is only six figures, I can't justify the stuff.
Exotics are for a certain income level or commitment to the equipment. It usually takes both, but if you are an oil baron, it only takes the former.
Once you go over $1500 for a turntable and $500 for a cartridge, you start hitting a wall called the point of diminishing returns. That is where you get into the realm of "exotics".
FWIW, every single person I've rubbed shoulders with my entire life, with the exception of my friend that works at Difinitive Audio in the Seattle area, would laugh at anyone paying five figures for a record player. It doesn't mean they are right that it's funny, but it points out that you are definitely in the realm of an "exotic" product at that price point. Think of it as "the one percent".
But like I said, those labels are subjective. I just moved to an area where "suite" is pronounced, "suit". I'm sure most of the folks around here would consider a Fluance an "exotic".
