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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
dpearso7
7 posts
 

I waited to respond just see what dreams were made of. 

I too have had my share of tables. Real dreams and nightmares. But just to add a thought, for that money, Kuzma R w/ 4 point. Ken Micallef from Stereophile might agree.

Good night and happy dreams.

dpearson

rsf507
2,355 posts
 

Now that's my dream table/arm combo. Kuzma Stabi R with 4point9 hard to best even at twice the $$ IMHO. Yes I've heard it many times and I'll be placing an order for one before long.

gordon
144 posts
 

Fyi, SME have announced mk2 versions of their TTs, which will probably lower used values of existing models.

essrand OP
297 posts
 

Yes. I am aware of that, and that is why I believe I was offered this price.

The street price of an SME 30/12A mk1 is probably something around 30-35K.

grislybutter
3,464 posts
 

just buying something to own because it's at a 50% discount is not a good reason. Especially if you can spend that 15K to improve your system more efficiently (the list of great TTs for <5K is very long) 

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