I've just been bumping my gums on the main HiFi forum about the current issue and the state of what passes for an acceptable range of turntables in which to invest your (sub £500) cash - and the north of £500 wasn't much better.
So I land on this thread and you know, what you can buy today compared to what you could buy when I was getting into the hobby in the late 70s and into the 80s doesn't begin to compare. Rotel RP850, Sansui SR222 up to the model V version, Technics SL-D2 (and variants at the budget end), Dual CS-505 - the AR EB101 anybody?! - and the rest. If you had a bit more cash to spend, you might get a Thorens TD160 or 166. If you had a bit less, a BSR McDonald. If you were loaded, a Linn or an Ariston RD11.
I don't see anything available today outwith Project or Rega that's remotely close to those decks. Mass produced, low cost, and not much worthy of 5 stars, but yet, lo and behold, they get 5 stars. And no, I haven't listened to them, but then again, there's nothing in most of them that would make me want to listen to them.