Should I buy an SME 30/12A for 15K?

Dear @essrand  : " I am a vinyl newbie with maybe 100 LPs (or less) "

If it's that way then maybe you are not achieving the most with your today analog rig and is improbable you can do it with the SME 30.

Ask your self: if some one gives you a F1 race carr in 100K will you buy it? ( I hope you are not a race man pilot. )

Digital is more easy to " understand " than analog that always is a " nigthmare " but even in digital you choosed a tube DAC that certainly is not the best electronic technology to a DAC if you want top quality performance.

Anyway, is up to you but according your post makes no sense to buy it just because is a good offer.

You can use that kind of $$$$$ to up-grade your Digital rig.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.

Thanks for the responses.

Apologies forgot to mention my system:

Devore O96. Accuphase E-650, Nagra Tube DAC, Acoustic revive cabling.

@dogberry , it includes the V-12 tonearm.

My phono is the AD-50 card in the Accuphase E-650 amp.

@lewm, the phono in the dealer's was a Boulder 508, the speakers were different than my home (a Rockport Lyra, I think), so yes, it was not an apple to apples comparison, but it was the best I could do.

@lalitk : For the sound I heard, I WOULD expand my vinyl collection.

@pindac: the 100 LPs were bought over a period of 7-8 years.

@rauliruegas I don't need to upgrade my digital rig, as of now IMHO (from reading forums) the Nagra Tube DAC is probably the 4th best DAC available in the market right now and 15k wont get me any higher in the ranking :) ---> okay this is a controversial statement but not the point of this post.

But I am mostly leaning towards your opinion of the situation. @rauliruegas. But I feel like if I can get even close to the sound of what I just heard at the dealers, I would be more than happy to jump into the analog rabbit hole. This is what's keeping me up at nights wondering if I should go for it or not.

@noromance my cartridge is the Nagaoka JT1210 cartridge specially made for this TT, it came with the Technics 1210GAE ( only in europe, in the USA this TT didn't come with a cart). The dealer used a Clearaudio Davinci cart (which costs more than my entire analog rig). 

I shall put my flame-proof pants on and utter the opinion that I feel a cartridge can make more difference than a TT. Sure, the world's best cartridge (I believe we already decided that question...) can't show how good it is with a poor TT, and vice versa. If you brought that SME home and put the Nagaoka on it, you would not hear what you heard at the dealership. Nor would you if you put that Clearaudio pickup on the Technics. If you get the SME, you pretty much have to get the best cartridge you can to go with it. Then neither one holds back the other.