sota moonbeam iii turntable thoughts?

Or a Sonographe SG-3, which is what the Comet and Moonbeam evolved from.

 

Which is an excellent choice. But one caveat with this model and with older Sota turntables. The PC mount Papst motor is a known weakness. And there are no replacement motors without sending it to Sota for a motor upgrade. Which is expensive but excellent. Bear that in mind. And also that platter bearing is delicate. And needs special care when transporting.

 

IIRC, the conrad johnson Sonographe SG-3, is a precursor to the SOTA Comet. I believe SOTA bought the Sonographe 'rights' from CJ, when they stopped production of the table (heck, for all that I know, SOTA may have been building the SG-3's for CJ). I own one and love it, with the stock arm, and a Grado Signature 8MZ cartridge. In fact, the last time I spoke with Lew Johnson, he told me that he still owned and used a SG-3 at his vacation home. So, it can't be too shabby! Worth a look, if the OP can't quite swing a Comet. Plus, SOTA still supports the SG-3.

Good luck!

edit: jupiterboy beat me to it...!