Should I buy an SME 30/12A for 15K?


I am a vinyl newbie with maybe 100 LPs (or less) in my collection. I have had a Technics SL1210GAE for past 2 years, I just plugged and played it. It’s good but my digital is almost as good or sometimes better.

I recently heard a SME 30/12A at the dealer’s, and it blew my mind, and my digital was no where close (the dealer had almost the same digital -- mine is Nagra Tube DAC, his was the Nagra HD DAC -- and we did on spot comparison, not an apples to apple of course but still best that we could under the circumstances).

 

Now given my relative inexperience with vinyl (I know next to nothing about setup), should I plunge for this offer which is offered to me at 1/3rd the retail price and probably an endgame TT for me.

 

Thoughts?

Also, is this as great an offer as I think it is, are there better TTs at 15K$ retail price (I cannot/will not buy used) than the SME 30/12A?

essrand

Has the Collection of 100 Albums been collected over the past two years.

Have you bought Individual Albums or some Batched/Job Lot deals and are they New.

I am going to assume, and happy to be corrected if inaccurate, about your purchases of Albums.

Have the accumulated 100 Albums been purchased as Individual New Items over the past Two Years ? In my assessment in the present Marketplace, the cost for such Source Material will be close to $2500 for the Items without Shipping Costs. This is a Big Commitment by a Hobbyist, when there is other Recorded Source Material available most likely of the same recordings, that can be attained at lesser outlay, especially as you have a investment in Digital already. 

I have heard a Digital Set Up used in a Predominantly Vinyl Source System, that has a New Purchase Price of approx' £5K present itself as very attractive as a comparison to the Vinyl Set Up with a New Purchase Price of approx' £25K.

Getting the absolute best from Vinyl using the Mainstream Brands as either Used or New Purchases can accumulate to substantially more in costs that creating as a attractive presentation using Digital as the Source Material.  

I am a little like your approach to the Vinyl LP as a Source in relation to the Digital Source. I have not too long been into Digital and have created a Digital Set Up in the main system only a few years ago. I had to purchase CD's as the only ones available were used in a Car or a few of my Son's Gangsta Rap type of genre.

The Digital Set Up put together with very limited investigation and experience, even though guided by some who are experienced in Digital,  has created a Source that integrated into my System very well, it is very attractive to have musical encounters with, and it has been used in place of the Vinyl Set Up on numerous occasions. 

 

If you don’t buy that table can you give me the dealer information? I will buy it in a heartbeat!

If you have the money go for it. 
You can upgrade other components later.

‘There is always something better out there.

Great deals don’t happen that often.

Joe Nies

Dear @essrand  : " I am a vinyl newbie with maybe 100 LPs (or less) "

If it's that way then maybe you are not achieving the most with your today analog rig and is improbable you can do it with the SME 30.

Ask your self: if some one gives you a F1 race carr in 100K will you buy it? ( I hope you are not a race man pilot. )

 

Digital is more easy to " understand " than analog that always is a " nigthmare " but even in digital you choosed a tube DAC that certainly is not the best electronic technology to a DAC if you want top quality performance.

 

Anyway, is up to you but according your post makes no sense to buy it just because is a good offer.

You can use that kind of $$$$$ to up-grade your Digital rig.

 

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.