2. analog
  3. 181738-1590

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

I am a vinyl newbie with maybe 100 LPs (or less) in my collection. I have had a Technics SL1210GAE for past 2 years, I just plugged and played it. It’s good but my digital is almost as good or sometimes better.

I recently heard a SME 30/12A at the dealer’s, and it blew my mind, and my digital was no where close (the dealer had almost the same digital -- mine is Nagra Tube DAC, his was the Nagra HD DAC -- and we did on spot comparison, not an apples to apple of course but still best that we could under the circumstances).

 

Now given my relative inexperience with vinyl (I know next to nothing about setup), should I plunge for this offer which is offered to me at 1/3rd the retail price and probably an endgame TT for me.

 

Thoughts?

Also, is this as great an offer as I think it is, are there better TTs at 15K$ retail price (I cannot/will not buy used) than the SME 30/12A?

essrand
ronboco
858 posts
 

@essrand 

My apologies 

lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,612 posts
 

“upgrade to an Etsuro Gold cart”

@essrand 

My project to further improve the analog is now on hold due to progress made in my digital front end. I am couple of pieces away from what I set out to do since early 2021.

fjn04
1,561 posts
 

Isn't the Merrill Williams Real no longer being made? 

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,922 posts
 

@fjn04 Correct. Unfortunately.  There's a used one on another site but the OP wants new.

lewm
13,275 posts
 

Pindac, it occurs to me that at current exchange rates and considering your quoted cost for an SP1000R (SP10R plus plinth and tonearm) of 16K GBP, you could fly to Tokyo, have a nice vacation in Japan, and return to the UK with an SP1000R and cash to spare. Make no mistake, that unit ought to outperform any SP10 mk2.

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