I am at a different point in life and hobby than you, but I just did a bunch of reading and research on radio protocols receiver prices and hardware issues before getting my Futaba 14SG. My recommendation in your price range would be a
Futaba 6J.
Futaba offer excellent service, has an active service forum on RCU to help a new person and you're likely to find someone at your club (or a club in your area) that knows something about them. Another nice thing is there are good aftermarket receivers available for S-FHSS a little cheaper than buying factory. Even then, the 6CH S-FHSS Rx are only about $5 more than the FrSky versions.
I do like the Spektrum radios. The DX6i is really easy to setup and the DX9 has awesome features. However, the cost of true DSMX receivers drove me away. I fly at many events and I have had hits on DSM2 so I won't use the cheap Orange Rx in anything but foamies if I'm at an event any more.
I still have my Hitec Eclipse 7 that I bought years ago. They make good radios but the cost of true Hitec receivers and some hardware issues that friends told me about kept me away. It's the only radio manufacturer someone who had one, told me not to buy.
I really would have a hard time buying a Turnigy 9X. It seems like there is a lot of fussing around to just make them work and if you have a hardware issue you have to get parts from over seas which could mean long down time.
The Taranis has a lot of nice features and there's a ton of great how to videos to get you started. I was really close to getting one but I didn't like the wait and I keep radios for a long time so I wanted a radio that could be serviced semi-locally if needed.
You are going to get a ton of opinions in an open ended thread like this. My two cents would be to download the manual for each model and breeze through them to see which sounds right for you.
For instance, everyone bagged on Futaba for their long manuals but there are whole chapters on helicopters and gliders that I don't need to worry about.
You're smart to do research before making an investment like this. Just don't look for the lowest cost option. I like good bargains, but sometimes paying for a manufacturer's research and supply chain isn't a bad thing.