I have had and listened to many turntables for the last 50 years, and I think that you can get a wonderful turntable and cartridge for around  $3k to $4K if you choose carefully.

To my ears the improvements beyond that price level are infintesimal and have some variation but little in the way of real sonic improvement.

I think the sonic signature of the preamp, speakers, amplifier, phono preamp, and other components make for more audible difference, in general, than differences in turntable beyond a certain point.

I have auditioned several turntables in my system, with costs up to $8000, and settled on the Music Hall MMF-7 with a Benz Ace Medium cartridge; all well under $3000.

Anything less than several days of listening with it in your own system at home is like buying a new car without even sitting in it; totally worthless! No audition other than in your system is worth your time.

I was using an Audio Research PH-5 phono preamp, which cost $2500, but have recently changed to the Musical Fidelity M1ViNL, which is incredibly good and only $1200. I have heard MUCH more expensive ones that are not nearly as good IMO. I think it is a gem.

The rest of my system is not in the class you are apparently talking about, but is pretty good. I have an Audio Research LS-26 preamp, Musical Fidelity M6PRX amplifier, and Vandersteen Treo speakers. 

It is good enough to reproduce the massive dynamics of a Steinway with incredible realism and pefect clarity from a top-quality recording of large-scale piano works or Beethoven's 9th and Mass in C.

One recording that is my acid test is the recording of Horowitz performing the Chopin Polonaise Number 6 (op.53) on DG 419045-1. He doesn't quite destroy the piano, but comes rather close. The dynamic range of the recording is off the charts. If a system can reproduce that piece with no distortion whatsoever and put you next to the piano, you have an impressive system, and my system does it. Sound to die for...lol.