My own audio odyssey experienced a somewhat unusual jump start way back when ... I went from Thorens 160 something or other to a Roksan Xerxes. The rest of the system has been catching up relatively speaking ever since.

Hate to be blunt but that Thorens was a piece of crap.

I've heard lots of tables since but the Xerxes continues to serve me well. Unfortunately I can't say that I'm a big fan of even the (so called) better budget tables including (perhaps especially) the entry level Rega's and knock offs. The entry level Basis tables are better to my ear if you can take the analytical slant.

Actually there was a Dual 506 I used for a short period when my Xerxes was in mothballs that wasn't too bad, it pretty much got the essence of the music down pat, pretty impressive.

Still, it pays big time to avoid the baby steps and side steps when it comes to a TT ... e.g. a Heybrook TT2 with Rega arm would be a nice find, that sort of thing.