Does Anyone Know the History of the Early Sota Turntables?

@mijostyn It appears that Luxman introduced vacuum clamping on the PD300 in the late 1970’s. Sota released the Star Sapphire in 1984. Apparently, there is also a SOTA GEM which was a precursor to the Sapphire and the first table released by SOTA.

The arm for a SOTA needs to be under 2.2 pounds and fit the landscape of the arm board which precludes these VTA tower type arms such as Wheaton or Reed. Unless you cut and modify the top of the plinth. These suspended tables will never be multi arm ones, I don't know of a suspended table that is easily fitted that way. 

On My SOTA Cosmos Eclipse I put an Origin Live Agile, and Christan built a custom arm board for it that looks like a breastplate underneath in order to make the weight requirements and still be non-resonant.

@lewm I have never heard of a Sapphire being offered as a kit. Nor could I think that motor could spin a 1 inch aluminum platter fast enough to give the impression its coming off the turntable. That sounds like a runaway direct drive motor. But perhaps it was the GEM, as there is so little information out there about it.

As far as this Gen 1 SOTA Sapphire, it certainly is playing well. It makes a great casual table for me. I had a Gen III Star Sapphire a few years back that I got as a proof of concept before I bought my Cosmos, and I used an Audiomods Series Six arm on it with great success also. To be honest, I liked the Audiomods over a SME V that I eventually put on that table and my Cosmos. I am quite tickled with the improvement in sound quality I get with the OL Agile arm over the SME V I had initially mounted.

Now its time to shop for an appropriate platter mat. I have a rubber and cork composite one that does a respectable job. I wish i could find one that is a bit more tacky, something like a modern equivalent of the Platter Matter or even the original Audioquest Sorbothane mats. That would quiet down that aluminum platter nicely.

I think the Gem post dated the early years and was an attempt to appeal to budget conscious buyers. My anecdote about the platter taking off was intended as humor, but the platter speed was truly out of control and gaining in velocity. My friend discovered he had failed to connect a feedback loop that was key to speed control. The platter did lift up off the bearing just before he cut the power. Believe it or don’t.

@lewm I bet that was amazing to see! Guess the pitch controls were not going to have enough range to dial that down!

I am sure the platter speed was well beyond 78 rpm by the time he yanked the plug out of the socket.

@neonknight The PD300 was produce from 1982 to 1984. I do believe that SOTA beat it out but it was close.

It is entirely possible for a suspended turntable to take multiple arms, the Dohmann Helix 1 is an example. Sota could easily make one on the basic Cosmos design. They are turning the Millennium into a multiple arm turntable, but by removing the suspension, mounting feet on the chassis and a heavy base under the feet. No dust cover. Not my cup of tea. You could take the chassis and place it on a MinusK platform. Then you would have to concocted a dust cover.