I have one of the original SOTA Saphires, bought new in the 80's. It has always been a great machine and still is, IMO. Only problem or upgrade I've ever done was a new power supply and clamp.............No experience with other TT's, never felt the need. ACOS Lustre GST 801 and yes, it does have on the fly VTA, rare at that time I think.
I can't say how much better the new models are, but after 30 years +/- I'm sure they are................Easy to set up, easy to use, great suspension, easy to upgrade, I just never bothered..............Can't go wrong with SOTA, although there are certainly others out there as good or better, depending on your bank account.