If you're open to other suggestions George Merrill's Polytable is another great option. This is a heck of a good turntable just like with the Well Tempered table looks can be deceiving
p.s. and is upgradable to boot!
p.s. and is upgradable to boot!
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VPI and Sota are both great brands. You can buy refurbished Sota directly from them... call to see what she's got in house. You might also call the elusivedisc folks who are really good at this and exceptionally fair to deal with. Also, I note that Music Direct is featuring a new Rega P6 table in your price range that looks interesting. Have fun deciding... all good. |
I'm a fan of SOTA and have gotten great service and results out of my Sapphire. Sapphires pop up used here and other places for ~$1K and you can get a great second-hand arm like a Graham 2, Micro Seki or similar with VTA on the fly for another ~$1K. That combo gets you giant-killer performance and a very budget friendly price. The table is readily DIY serviceable if needed, FWTW. VPI is also highly regarded and owners rave about them. I don't have personal experience though, so can't offer more than that. Good luck and happy listening no matter which way you go! |
Personnel I would buy used either brand..... You will get way more performance for your dollar. Not familiar with the SOTA line but a lot of people really like them. VPI, I would be looking at a used classic model (the VPI Prime would be 2500 used). Yes the classic and the Prime are much better sounding than the Scout. (owned a scout and have a Prime, heard the classic many times before) In addition Audiogon has a Well Tempered Amadeus for $2200 buck. These always get rave reviews (don't be fooled by the looks do your research). Also this table requires virtually no cartridge setup for beginners and still manages to be awesome. (heard the simplex, would not fear the Amadeus is not on the level of these other tables) I don't think you would regret any of these choices. Very few people have heard all these table (on same system) to give you a informed quality comparison. I would do research and pull the trigger if you don't have the dealers to make an informed choice. Buy from audiogon, buy from a person with very good feedback and plenty of transactions, Don't over spend (research). Do all these things and you will be in good shape. . |
If a Rega style arm is you choice I would opt for the SOTA and install an Audiomods arm at some time. Audiomods give you the option of a micrometer VTA, so resetting is a breeze. The arm itself is amazing and worth every penny - it’s what Rega arms aspire to be. But the VPI Scout models look very nice - I would be tempted by them Steve |
This SOTA comes with a Rega tonearm. If you don’t need VTA adjustment this would be my choice in that price range! http://www.sotaturntables.com/newtables/satellite.htm |