Turntable Advice?

Might talk to Sota if they make a conversion kit with the new Phoenix motor controller/motor.  They are ones selling it.

Enjoy the ride
Tom

Have to agree with all the above, your SOTA table and arm combo are much better than anything on your list. Just checked SOTAs  web site and they offer the Eclipse package for less than $1,100.00 which includes the Eclipse motor, Condor power supply and the Roadrunner speed controller and these should be quite the upgrade in your vinyl set up as it exists now. Enjoy the music and good luck.

What tomwh said.  Repair your turntable and add the Phoenix controller system.  It will be a huge upgrade, in my opinion, because, in my opinion, a major issue with the old Sota Sapphire was speed stability.  I owned one for 10 years before figuring that out.  Also, you say the motor has "gone bonkers".  Can you explain further?  If the motor still operates but speed is very inaccurate (I mean beyond the slight wavering of pitch), then the problem may lie in the electronics that control the motor, not in the motor per se.  That would be a win/win for you, if you send it to Sota.  They could repair the problem by installing the Phoenix designed controller in place of the original electronics.  Also, by all means keep the SME V vs any of the tonearms that come with the mediocre turntables you listed.  And finally, get a new cartridge if that would please you, or don't. That part is icing on the cake.

Wow. So much great advice! Am I on the right website? Or maybe its just that the analog guys actually know their you-know-what?

Anything around this level you're usually a lot better off fixing/improving than selling/trading. The only thing that concerns me is the bit about having it all set up by a local pro. None of this is anything you can't do yourself. Its just not that hard. If I can build a whole turntable from scratch then I am pretty sure you can swap out a motor and install a cartridge.

But don't just swap it out. Listen to lewm and upgrade. It'll be a little more work but improvements like this in turntables are awesome. You know immediately what contributed to what. As opposed to buying a new table which leaves you totally in the dark in terms of why it sounds different/better, this way you actually learn something. No more wondering, you KNOW something for a change. Plus the jolt of confidence you feel knowing YOU did it, that my friend you cannot even begin to put a price on.

Just to be clear, although I did use the words “repair your turntable”, I was not implying that the OP should actually do the work himself. I went on to suggest he send it to SOTA for the Phoenix upgrades and a new motor, if a new motor is even needed. SOTA can advise on the condition of the motor itself. They may even have upgraded the motor in connection with their adoption of the Phoenix electronics, since the latter is designed to drive a 3-phase AC synchronous type.