Turntables $500 or less, suggestions?

The less a TT travels the better.

YUP--take it back to the dealer or service shop, get it set up "perfectly", then chuck it in the cargo area of your vehicle and trek home through the "minefields" that they call roads these days, and see how close to "perfect" it still is.
 
This is why the OP has to learn the basic skills of TT set up, between AK, owners manual, YouTube videos there's all kinds of help to learn how to do it.
 
Most of the people here must live in luxury as I have never taken a turntable to a shop to be set up or have purchased a table for a shop to set up. Every new table I ever purchased had an owners manual with it, and within that manual it explains how to set up a table. This was long before the advent of the internet, now with the internet there are so many sites show you step by step how to set up a table it really surprises me anyone would use a shop service other than complicated electronic repairs.
Ken you are assuming that most people read the instruction manual completely. We both know that a certain percentage of people are just too smart to do that. I used to be like that when I first got into turntables at the age of 16. I am positive my Pioneer PL-71 was never set up properly from the day I bought it. Sad because that was a turntable that deserved to be set up and enjoyed.
 
Having a shop 'balance the tonearm' only has the benefit of verifying correct operation prior to the turntable leaving the shop. It's just common sense that one doesn't transport a turntable with the counterweight, cartridge (if removable headshell) or platter installed and without the tonearm secured. When I sell a turntable I always ask the purchaser if they know how to set it up and I'll go through it with them if they are unsure. Of course there are those out there who physically can't do the set-up ... but I'm sure there are other options (like having a friendly local AKer help out).

Our local audiophile shop includes cartridge alignment with the purchase of any cartridge ... whether it's $30 or $2500.

Maybe a few questions to try to track this down:

1) Did you rebalance the arm and reset the tracking force once you got home?
2) Did you do the same when you put the Stanton on the PL-516 ... and of course the Ortofon back on.
3) Does the PL-518 do the same thing? That's pretty key here ... you said you have had annoying problems with each but you haven't identified that this annoying problem is common to both.
4) I would be worthwhile to identify what other issues you've had ... that might identify a clue.
5) What's the state of your record collection ... are they new pressings or thrift-shop scores? And how extensive is it? I recall someone else having a somewhat similar problem and the thread went on for several pages before it was discovered that they only had one record ... that was the problem!

Now if the tracking force is not set properly (say ... too light) then I'd expect distortion across the record. If the tonearm bearings are damaged or the anti-skate has a problem then that could cause issues part-way through the record. The other thing that could be occurring ... that I have seen ... is that the cueing platform is making contact with the tonearm. If it's warped or damaged then the tonearm may only be contacting it part way through a record.

You have to give us some background here.
 
The industry stopped pressing LPs with the advent of cds. Turntables pretty much followed suit.
Flash forward to present day. All must be relearned. I know that albums are of a inferior quality then when I was spending all coin for them.
I did purchase a new deck a few years back.
Its seen virtually no spin time as its inferior to any vintage deck I own..
I cant afford to spend the price of a supercar to get the performance of any one of my vintage decks.
I guess if you can and choose to go for it.
Old school for me. The tires that make my day are on my turntables not my car...Cheers
 
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