Turntable recommendations around $2500


Hi everyone,

Yes, another "what do you recommend" thread.  I'll provide a few specifics to help narrow down the field.  First of all, I don't live near any audio dealers, so listening to products isn't an option.  I want to purchase through one of the various online audio dealers who offers a 30-day (or more) return policy - Audio Advisor, Music Direct, Needle Doctor, etc.  

My general parameters are:
  • approx. $2000-2500 for table only (less is better, of course, but not at the expense of sound quality) 
  • RCA or DIN output connection (no integral phono cables, which rules out Rega and Clearaudio)  experiment with aftermarket cables).
  • No unipivot tonearm (sorry, VPI)

So, with all that in mind, I'm looking at the following that meet my criteria:

  • Pro-Ject RPM 9 Carbon
  • Musical Hall MMF 9.3
  • Mobile Fidelity Ultradeck
  • EAT C-Major
  • ELAC Miracord 90
  • SOTA Satellite II (w/202 arm)

For what it's worth, I prefer a table that leans slightly toward the warmer side of neutral.  Would love to hear opinions from those who are using one of these tables or who have heard them and decided not to purchase. And, of course, other recommendations are welcome.

Thanks!
Scott


    
smrex13
In the same boat looking to replace my aging table. Narrowed down to the Rega P6, VPI Scout, and EAT.  And of course only the Rega is available locally.  Following!
My friend has the Satellite with a SME arm and it is real nice. The Rega arm has no VTA adjustment. If that is important to you then you should pass on the SOTA with the Rega arm!
I just bought the MoFi Ultradeck, with the MasterTracker cartridge. Pretty amazing. Nothing flashy about it, but just sounds superb. Lots of detail I'd missed out on before, and dead quiet.
Get the SOTA in your choice of custom wood finish; really beautiful, musical, and long-lived tables that can work well even without stellar isolation racks/stands. I own two arms with an on-the-fly VTA adjustment that I never use, once setup correctly.

The EAT, Music Hall, and RPM are all made by ProJect, which is an OK brand but I’ve never been terribly impressed by them yet.