SOTA NOVA, HR-X VPI, Technics 1200G recommendations?

@atmasphere, Ralph, I just bought a new Sota so another turntable is not going to happen in the near future. I will listen for a "shimmer" in the sound stage. DD turntables have always speced well in regards to speed stability. That was not enough to help them years ago. It would be fun to have one in my system for a sort while to hear a modern one but nobody I know has one. There are other issues however. I am sold on vacuum clamping which is not provided with any DD table I am aware of. A suspended plinth I can easily make. 

@mijostyn  You'll want to be careful using the vacuum system! I had a Sota Cosmos some years back that damaged the LP surface held against the platter pad. Dusting both sides before playing didn't fix it. Later, Sota changed the surface of the platter pad to be softer, which also changed the sound of the turntable. When I got our model 208 to sound better in every way I let the Cosmos go. For the record I've no idea how they handle this now.


You are incorrect about the speed stability of properly executed DD machines- there is a very good reason the Technics SP10MkIII holds a high value on eBay- its a performer and takes any belt drive machine to task. The new SP10R and SL1200G do too.


The reason that it 'was not enough to help them years ago' is due to misinformation and nothing more- I know, I fell victim to that same misinformation.

lucky me u said that..@chakster. nearly bought the cu platter lol thanks

I have been happily using a SOTA Star Sapphire turntable since the 80’s. It replaced an AR Turntable (yes, I am that old) and later a very modesty priced Techniques. The later were rather susceptible to footsteps on my old wood floor. However, it sounds like this is no longer an issue for the high-end models. I do have my turntable on a butcher block slab with high-tech footers, but I have never tried to do an A/B comparison without them (too lazy, I guess). Also, I never compared my SOTA to a Techniques or VPI. I recently upgraded to the Cosmos using a refurbished SME VI arm and a Soundsmith Paula cartridge. If you are still considering a SOTA , you might give them a call. I enjoy my conversations with Donna, talking about audio and anything else. She was very fond of the Jelco 750 and Hana cartridge combination as well as a Dynavector. For the well funded, she liked the Origin Live arm as well. Good Luck.

Ralph it was not misinformation. We had several of them from different manufacturers in the store and we compared them at length with SP 12's and a Goldmund Table. They were all lifeless in comparison and all of us heard the same thing. I sold a bunch of them at Luskin's and had I don't know how many people complain of the way they sounded. Luskin's was a box store that never took anything back unless it was defective out of the box. Not sounding good did not qualify back then. Nothing like having to deal with a pissed off customer. At Sound Components we did not have that problem. We sold everyone LP12's .

As for Sota's vacuum clamping system there are two important details. 1st is a much better mat that matches the mechanical impedance of vinyl. Second is the compressor switches automatically to a low pressure mode once the record is clamps. This puts much less vacuum on the record and also saves the compressor from having to do a lot of work. It is perfectly safe but, you can still buy a Cosmos without it. On top of this the new Cosmos has a magnetic thrust bearing like the Clearaudio turntables abolishing bearing wear and halving the noise. Then there is the Eclipse drive system (which I have not heard yet) which by all accounts is extremely accurate and stable. Rumble is a more serious consideration for me than the difference between 0.02 and 0.03% wow and flutter. Then there is a fine suspension and an isolated dust cover. These are all items I have to have. I can make them myself but my wife would rather keep me building cabinets and furnisher. I could have bought an SP10R used the same turntable and built a suspended plinth with a dustcover. I chose not to. Old habits die hard.