2. analog
  3. 179574-83759

What is the best tonearm for a SOTA Nova turntable?

I haven't played an LP for a while now. I've moved from CD's to streaming both Tidal and my own rips from a Roon Nucleus plus. My SOTA Nova with an ET2 arm has been sitting idle along with hundreds of high quality LP's. I've heard that the ET2 is not a good match with the SOTA, and may be the weak point in my analog chain. (SOTA-ET2-Lyra Kleos -Allnic 1201 phono stage- ARC Ref6- PS Audio-BHK300 amps-Reference 3a Grand Veena speakers and unnamed sub system. 

My digital system with a Holo May DAC and Roon with HQP trounces the analog system pretty soundly.

I'd like to resurrect the analog system as I have read that I'm missing out not using it.

My question is, where can I make the most improvement for the least cash outlay?

I'd like to keep the SOTA table, but everything else is expendable.

Thanks in advance for some help.

-John

gyneguy225
gyneguy225 OP
93 posts
 

@mijostyn 

Good information! I'm considering the Sutherland Little Loco. ($3300 vs $11000 for the ARCRef3.) The Kiseki will match up well with the Sutherland. It's low output, MC, and has an internal impedance of 6 ohms. It starts to add up fast when I combine the Sutherland for $3300, $3000 to upgrade the Sota, and a new tonearm for thousands more. I'm not sure of the price of the tonearms like the Schroder, Kuzma,or the SME, but certainly not chicken feed I suppose.😉

I love my lp's but not THAT much!

mglik
908 posts
 

+1

Channel D Lino C 3.3

The basic unit is about $3500.

Rated A+ Stereophile Recommended Components along with $56K Boulder and $90K CH Precision. 

 

gyneguy225 OP
93 posts
 

That's a pretty exotic gizmo. Only accepts a balanced phono signal? Probably not for me.

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

What table do you own?

@gyneguy225
Hi John,
it is a SOTA Sapphire. I spent months looking and listening and the receipt says 8/8/84.

There is no dishonour is not rushing into it.

And the old setup was pretty nice, so the extra $ may not translate into a night-n-day difference.
Personally I would keep Sutherland on the table of consideration, a friend had an Origin Live arm… for a while.

 

What do you not like about the sound compared to your digital side?
Knowing that could help.

gyneguy225 OP
93 posts
 

Let me listen to the new cartridge and maybe I can answer your question.

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