There are many nice tables out there that fit your budget, and for what it's worth, I second all of the previous suggestions. All the tables mentioned have different sonic characters and physical/operational qualities. And since there aren't any objective standards against which to measure performance, I think it's a bit disengenuous, at least at this price point, to say a certain set up "blows away" a similar set up. As usual, it comes down to a question of taste (and the aggressivenss with which some people promote their own particular tastes always strikes me as a bit odd, if not downright defensive and insecure). It would be nice if you could audition some of the tables already mentioned. I would recommend a used Rega P3 w/ some Dynavector cart and a Monolithic phonostage (sans power supply). This set up up will get you started for under a grand, and the Monolithic is fairly flexible, so you can experiment with either MM or (most) MC carts. While this setup won't be at the level of your current gear, it will give you a nice taste of the joys of vinyl; and if (!) you decide that vinyl isn't for you, you should be able to resell the stuff for almost the price you paid for it. Have fun.
