Artemis Labs SA-1 Turntable anyone?


Just curious if any of you guys have any experince with this sadly orphaned table?
 

Quite the pedigree…

photomax

It always looked to be well designed to me, but I never saw or heard it in person.

It got really positive reviews back in the day. A project with famed tone arm designer Frank Schröder. Sounds like there were money squabbles and the project faded away. 
 

I have seen this table listed on various “show off your table” forum posts. Owners seem to really like it…

 

Love mine but see the thread

Anyone experienced speed issues with Artemis Labs SA-1?

I’ve not had trouble since and it gets daily use.

There are a number of very fine "orphans" out there which represent a good value on the used market.  I have an HAmazon Referenz, recently orphaned (H added to defeat the auto delete triggered by the company of the same name) which is an extraordinary value on the used market whose build quality will give any buyer a lifetime of trouble free service.  These typically sell for less than half of their retail price.

I owned an SA-1 for a short time. I thought it sounded really good. I used a TriPlanar and not the Schroeder arm. My only concern was the tape drive, I could hear a ticking noise when the tape splice met the pulley. I also felt concerned about the financial stability and sustainability of the company, an apprehension that turned out to be justified. That said, anyone who owns one of these tables has an excellent sounding deck and one not likely to break. Users can easily replace the tape used to drive the platter, if with a very tiny bit of noise. 

I am a woodworker so I love the look of this table. The initial reviews were so good, especially with Frank’s part in the project. 
 

But this sounds like a project that just did not work out financially. There is one for sale locally. I have a P6 w/ Ania MC. Tempted…