Yes, though this answer depends on what one considers decent and affordable!

Those looking for new high-performance machines for under $1,000 will find very little of interest. High-performance turntabling can’t be done for $1K new, spend a little more though and things start to improve. If you broaden your horizons to include pre-owned equipment, then $1,000 gets you something much more interesting.

Decent, New

• The Pioneer PLX-1000, at around $1100 and 15kg is a good value new option. No, it’s not high-end, but it’s a little over a grand. It’s cheap and cheerful, like some of the Audio Technica decks.
• You might find the occasional Technics SL-1200 Mk7 on special from online sellers, though by now these have probably dried up. For around $1600, this is the best deal up to about $3K.
• A new Technics SL-1210GR at around $3,000 AUD is good value if you want a new deck. Just keep in mind that you will get a far better machine on the secondhand market for the same money.
• The new Technics SL-1500 is worth considering at around $2,000 AUD, discounted to $1,500. It’s a basic deck, but solid value, though the plastic tonearm base irritates me at the price.
• The MoFi StudioDeck for around $2,000 is also a decent value. Be careful of the loose bearings I’ve found in a few of these now though.
• The MoFi UltraDeck is a much better turntable, though perhaps not what most consider affordable.
• The Rega Planar 3 is a belt-drive classic for around $1,500. This is a solid value, not a high-precision deck by any means but they sound decent. Don’t go lower than a Planar 3 in Rega’s lineup though.
• If you are on a really tight budget, you might consider the Audio Technica AT-LPW40WN, what a mouthful, but I wouldn’t go any lower than this, new.
• Better from Audio Technica would be the direct drive AT-LP140XP. This deck crushes the cheap sub-$500 dollar junk out there.
• Cheap ProJect, Thorens, Denon and other $500 or less turntables are not worth buying in my opinion.
• Non-brand name gear like Crosley, Marley and other plastic equipment is literal garbage and should avoided if you care about your records and sound.

Best Options

The only new deck I could live with here is the SL-1210GR. Spending around three grand gets you a heck of a lot of second-hand golden-age vinyl goodness, so keep this in mind. You could find a Kenwood KD-650 for much less than that or even a Yamaha GT-2000 for that money and these are altogether better options. The real value, as always, is on the second-hand market.