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


I am considering SOTA NOVA, used HR-X VPI and Technics 1200G TTs. I have an old SOTA STAR with vacuum, (and essentially a Jelco 750 arm-retipped Denon 103R) so I know its high quality and durability. Technics apparently has performance that far exceeds its $4000 price tag. For tonearms, I am down to Jelco 850M and old FR-64S. I am considering low compliance cartridges. For VPI, it would be JMW 12 or 3D. Changing the tonearms seems to be more of a hassle on VPI. What are your thoughts and recommendations?
chungjh
Chungjh, that is obviously true of cars although I have put a reservation down on a cybertruck arguably the ugliest vehicle ever conceived. I also use a 911 as a daily driver a form follows function car if ever there was one.
As far as a turntable is concerned performance trumps everything including looks. If you are buying a turntable for looks perhaps you are not an audiophile? 
@chakster, You expect me to remember models from 30-40 years ago?
Lets put it this way, they were so bad that it scared me out of direct drives forever. The designers that I have the most confidence in also shied away from direct drive like Mark Dohmann, David Fletcher and AJ Conti. There is no direct drive table that meets my requirements particularly when it comes to isolation. Technics turntables are like Toyota cars, very reliable reasonably well made pedestrian fair. Over the 30 years I have been out of the audio business nothing much has change that would get me interested enough to consider buying one although there are several newcomers on the market that make interesting products it is rare for me to purchase something from a small newbie that has yet to establish themselves in the market. Besides I am perfectly happy with the turntable I just purchased. It is right at the point of diminishing returns and does everything I need a turntable to do. The next turntable in line would be the Dohmann Helix 2, a substantially more expensive turntable. 
I put my money where my mouth is. I could have easily purchased an SP10R. 
I had never heard of Dohmann until you mentioned it. Actually, it looks very nice. You can tell it is expensive.
I don’t care what car do you have, but you can’t even remember the names of the turntables and your experience with some unknown direct drive is from the 70s!

Reference direct drive are all from Japan from Denon, Victor, Pioneer, Technics... I assume you neved tried any good Japanese direct drive from those brands, I want to remind you that top models from those brand were extremely expensive in the 70s/80s.

Also Direct Drive are not the same. Drive itself does not have a sound and what you hear is a sound of tonearm/cartridge.

You can recall your cartridges and tonearms maybe? @mijostyn
I'm using cork and rubber now.

so it's worthwhile to get the copper 'Matt' for all direct drives or just sp 10? or can I use carbon Matt? 
Copper mat cost more than your turntable (if you don’t have something special), look at the price for Artisan Fidelity new pure copper mat, it’s $1200.

Micro Seiki CU-180 in Mint condition will cost the same, but it was made 40 years ago in Japan (so it’s rare). 1.8kg is too heavy for some turntables. I’m using CU-180 on Luxman PD-444 and it’s superb mat!

For $250 you can buy graphite mat from Sakura System (latest version of Boston Audio Mat) and it’s great mat too, but without wow factor of Micro Seiki.

SAEC SS-300 Is great vintage mat with much more complicated design than Sakura System “The Mat”. SAEC is amazing mat and it cost $350-550 when condition is like new.


Rubber is worst ever material for the mat, and cork is just like $15 felt mat (it’s really nothing).