I bought my current turntable back in 1979. It was my fifth since my first turntable purchase in 1974. I should have saved for my last turntable purchase, buying it first instead of buying up. It would have been less expensive in the long run. In other words, audition or trust a highly qualified review before you buy any of the so called "entry level" turntables. BTW, what makes a record sound its best is not so much the turntable today as it is the tonearm/cartridge.
I use my turntable today to digitize albums I have in my music library. I do not see it has any other useful purpose. If you do not already have any LP's you'd like to digitize what would be the point of buying a turntable? You will not get better sound. Certainly, while sometimes I cannot distinguish between music on CD and LP there always seems to be a few annoying pops attached to LP's which diminish my pleasure with the medium.
Interestingly, I have a means of digitizing LP's which can eliminate annoying snap, crackle, and pop; but, digitizing is a time consuming processes, usually taking a few hours to get the LP into iTunes. I do not know what your leisure time is worth but it may be better spent to just buy a CD of what you already have on LP if a CD version of your LP is out there.
My turntable is a Sony PS-4750 with a Shure V15 type V-MR cartridge. When I am playing a very clean record the sound can be indistinguishable from CD; but, CD is usually better than LP in most any way the concept of better can be discerned.
