Old Sota Turntable Questions

The bearing is critical... if its been shipped without the travel screws extended the bearing will be damaged to the tune of a few hundred dollars to replace. Had this happen with my Sota sapphire when bought used. Check to see how well the motor operates, a replacement will cost you close to $1K. They don't take off like a rocket but should be up to speed in a few seconds. Springs also age but a minor nuisance. You will have to shell out between $100-$200 for an armboard cut out for your particular arm.

To check for bearing damage push down on the platter gently and watch it as it springs up and down. If the platter wiggles during this process then the bearing is bad.

As the proud owner of a Star Nova V I agree with both Elevick and Davide256. You could contact SOTA direct, Donna has always been very helpful with all of my inquiries and should be able to give you additional insight. SOTA will also check it out professionally for you if your are interested in that level of service.

Personally, I do not think you can reach a point where it becomes not financially justifiable to bring a SOTA up to its latest upgrade status. Whether or not you have the funds is not the point. The table deserves it! (grin)
Regard,

+1 Griffithds. The Sota line is about as serviceable as can be imagined. Got my Sapphire II+ refurbished with a Series V platter, springs, belt, matched arm board and power supply. Made it sound much better than new for a very reasonable price, IMO.