At $500 - I'd hesitate to suggest buying ANY benchtop saw and expect you to be as satisfied as you could be with a contractor's or hybrid model. The $500 price range is almost perfect for the Rigid contractor's saw, and there are a couple Grizzly options, too.
The reason I say this are due to the materials used in these two types of saws.
<b>Motor</b>
I don't know of any benchtop saw that uses an induction motor. Induction motors invariably run quieter and smoother and usually have more accurate power ratings. Most benchtop saws use universal motors that are lightweight but loud and have quite a bit of vibration. They also lack accurate horsepower ratings.
It's pretty involved, but you can get a better measure of real power by calculating wattage instead - watts = amps * volts. A true horsepower is somewhere around 734 watts. I wouldn't believe any rating that claims to pull more than 2hp yet draws somewhere under 12-13 amps.
<b>iron</b>
Since benchtop saws are designed to be portable, they have to be lightweight. This usually means their tops are made of aluminum. A cast iron top is almost always found on contractor saws. This iron lends TONS of weight (literally!) and that keeps vibration to a minimum. Vibration is the enemy to a decent cut.
There is a Rigid contractor saw that fits your price range and it gets incredible reviews by everyone I know who owns one. They have a nice heavy cast iron top and use a nice beefy induction motor. Space is some consideration, but you mentioned putting a benchtop model on a stand and those stands generally take up nearly as much space as a contractor model might. Hybrid models tend to have a smaller footprint, due to burying the motor inside instead of hanging it off the back, but they can be more expensive.
I'd also check out Grizzly. I have their G0586 jointer and absolutely love it. My next big tool will probably be a Grizzly, too
Remember, you only cry once when you buy a good tool
Good luck in your search!
