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New Table Ideas
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jupiterboy View Drop Down
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    Posted: 22 Apr 2022 at 2:07am
My decades old Sota is in trouble. The motor has failed, and a good number of the other major components have been reworked so many times they also need attention.

There are some obvious contenders at the moment, but I'm looking for suggestions in the under $4,000 US area. My wish list is a Delrin platter, good bearing that will stay sounding good under heavy use, a dead plinth, and capable tonearm with a hanging mass anti-skate and VTA adjustment, and very good pitch stability (good wow/flutter specs that can be maintained).

I like classic looks, but consistent performance over time is key. What are the stable, reliable smaller shops Ilm missing? Other factors to consider, etc.

Any suggestions are welcome.
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Fatmangolf View Drop Down
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Sorry to hear about your SOTA's decline, Mark. Have you considered buying another one new or second hand?

Another question. Which turntable options were you considering, please?
Jon

Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC.
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jupiterboy View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Fatmangolf Fatmangolf wrote:

Sorry to hear about your SOTA's decline, Mark. Have you considered buying another one new or second hand?

Another question. Which turntable options were you considering, please?


It will go back into the shop to be looked at, but I think fixing all the issues will be quite expensive. I'll talk with them about a restored Saphire, but also explore a new model Quasar. I think these are going to be too costly, though.

So many people are going toward Technics right now, and undeniably the 1200GR is on the list. I noticed VPI selling some Aries last night with gimbaled arms. I was considering the base model from Origin Live but started hearing some troubling reports regarding their support. 

I'm very good at alignment and set up, and I also live in a dusty, pet friendly old house. This will probably be my last table. 

There's a guy near with a Feickert Volare with a Jelco 850S. Don't have a price on that yet. 

I'm really right now shaking the tree for those options I'm not thinking of. 
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lfc jon View Drop Down
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Rega, a British company have a good reputation for their turntables but they may not fit into your classic look requirements. Myself I'm in the process of saving up for a Technics. 
Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
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At $4,000 you are in the price range of the Technics 1200G. Even though I run a modded MK7, I would recommend buying the best Technics model you can comfortably afford. All of them are "buy for life" turntables that have no fuss whatsoever in daily use or ownership. They sound great and just work. You can run almost any cartridge on them also.

FWIW a friend of mine bought a GR recently and loves it. He put a "little fwend" auto lifter on it and plays with the dust cover down because he's a clean freak.
SL-1200 MK7 (modified) + Reflex M + PSU-1 used with AT150-40ML, AT VM95ML, Stanton 680mkII + Ogura, and Shure M35X cartridges.
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patientot View Drop Down
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I've never been much of a fan of Rega, but they are very popular and have a huge fanbase. They are also well supported in terms of parts and aftermarket modifications.

Something completely out of the box as far as UK made BD decks go would be something from Nottingham Analogue. I've never used one so this is not a recommendation, but just saying what's available.

I'm not sure what their pricing structure is either, especially from USA dealers. One guy I follow on social media has one and he loves it. I think he's using an aftermarket arm on his that costs as much or more than the turntable though.

Years ago I looked into SOTA and was turned off by a few horror stories re: long term support. I think the company changed hands a few times, a key person passed away, etc. I remember one guy that had one and they wouldn't give him a mounting template when he decided to change the armboard and arm. He was able to figure it out on his own but that seemed a bit dicey to me - especially for a turntable that is designed to support arm upgrades.
SL-1200 MK7 (modified) + Reflex M + PSU-1 used with AT150-40ML, AT VM95ML, Stanton 680mkII + Ogura, and Shure M35X cartridges.
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jupiterboy View Drop Down
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Originally posted by patientot patientot wrote:

I've never been much of a fan of Rega, but they are very popular and have a huge fanbase. They are also well supported in terms of parts and aftermarket modifications.

Something completely out of the box as far as UK made BD decks go would be something from Nottingham Analogue. I've never used one so this is not a recommendation, but just saying what's available.

I'm not sure what their pricing structure is either, especially from USA dealers. One guy I follow on social media has one and he loves it. I think he's using an aftermarket arm on his that costs as much or more than the turntable though.

Years ago I looked into SOTA and was turned off by a few horror stories re: long term support. I think the company changed hands a few times, a key person passed away, etc. I remember one guy that had one and they wouldn't give him a mounting template when he decided to change the armboard and arm. He was able to figure it out on his own but that seemed a bit dicey to me - especially for a turntable that is designed to support arm upgrades.


They are very proprietary. My Rega arm is mounted at 219.5mm, but they won't say a word about it and were willing to let me use a standard Rega protractor to set up my carts. I have that beef with them. They imaging I'll send my table in to get them to install a cart three times a year when they are usually backed up by a month or more. They probably need to loosen their policy at bit. My records are worth more than my table, and I'd like a designer/maker that can appreciate that the media is unique and valuable, and put that over incremental profit. 

I'm exhausted with my Rega arm. I get the Technics, but I fear that arm, too. 

Noticed these measurements—a Technics table and a VPI. There is some difference. Can't vouch for the methodology.

VPI


Technics






Edited by jupiterboy - 23 Apr 2022 at 2:10am
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