$500 budget

[Drew664]

I've been speaking with a friend who collects vinyl and a bout of nostalgia decided to hit me like a freight train. I used to listen to my dad's records all the time as a kid and I'd like to recreate some of those sounds by purchasing a turn table of my own. Only problem is, I don't know the industry well enough to make a smart purchase. So I'm going to ask the community for some help on this one.

I've already found out that I'll need a phono stage to get decent sound and detail out of a turn table. I know little to nothing about them, but I've been through most of the threads here to get an idea of what an entry level system would consist of. However some lingo still is new to me, and it's difficult to factor how much of an audible difference it would make without actually hearing it in person.

I'd like to know all of the pieces I'll need to start listening to vinyl. Cords, turn table, phono stage, etc. I don't need/want a turn table that connects to my computer as I won't be doing any DJing, and it would be simply to listen to the records. My budget is capped at $500.

Thank you for your time and help.