Newbie Analog High Expectations??

As somebody pointed out, you have to get used to the play noise. Sometimes a brand new LP has play noise. Many times used LPs sold in mint condition have play noise.
You would also need to purchase a good cleaning machine.

As for quality/money, Thorens TD145/150/160/165 would be one of the best choices. You can get one without cartridge at around $200. I have TD145MKii and ADC XLM MKii cartridge which costs around $100~$150. It works just as good as my Clearaudio bluemotion and my friend's Sota Comet.

As for Jazz LPs, it is getting harder and harder to get them cheap, I mean at under $1. If I buy bulk from ebay, as much as half of them are in poor condition, even though they are advertised in VG/VG+ or even Mint condition, and I won't play them on my turntable. Still, buying bulk off ebay has been most economical way. Overall I bought over 300 used Jazz LPs from ebay, about $2 per each on the average including s/h, and about 200 of them are in very good condition with minor play noise.
And you will find some good LPs from garage sales and estate sales.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Kevin @http://www.kabusa.com He is a very good resource for all things analog and his modded Technics decks are a solid bargain in vinyl playback.

Unless you have a record collection or access to a nice selection, be prepared to spend a fair amount of money and time.

Second, vinyl is interactive. It requires ongoing fiddling, tweaking, and adjustment far beyond the initial set up. There's no way around that so if you are strictly a remote control listener, stop here.

Lastly, as a dealer I can tell you that most folks getting into vinyl grossly underestimate the investment dollars it will take to satisfy themselves. Not all, but most.

Good luck.

Good idea for modding a Thorens TD 160, if you are a tinkerer, mod it according to the analog dept website. $100-200 plus mods gets you a nice setup. I have a fully DIY modded Thorens and its pretty damn close to my Scoutmaster setup. This table is better than a Rega P25 I used to have.

Audiofeil is correct, if you really get into this, you are going to end up spending more money than you think. The table is only the beginning, isolation, cartridge, phono stage, records, it just goes on and on. You may be lucky and find instant contentment, but if you're a tinkerer/audiophile be prepared for a long journey.

People are suggesting modding an old Garrard or Thorens? They must be crazy. The man said 'newbie'.

I would go low maintanance, which for a TT is difficult. However it is a matter of degree. Maybe pay a Linn dealer to set up a nice LP 12 for you. That way you will be insured of a great table, and you will not have to sweat it out or even do much of anything except buy records.

My 2 cents: get a cleaning machine now, so you can enjoy cheap used LP's. Do yourself a favor and don't cheap out, get a VPI 16.5. It is the standard.