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.
Does Anyone Know the History of the Early Sota Turntables?
Does anyone know the differences between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 and 3 of the Sota Saphire tables? I found a very clean Gen 1 table I am going to use as a casual player. I have some extra arm boards and an extra arm I can put on it. Motor and bearing is in excellent shape. The platter feels like alumium, and I do not know if in these first tables they went to the lead or acrylic composite platters. The way the spindle looks I doubt this is the inverted bearing either. Anyone know the history of these early Sota tables?
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@lewm I bet that was amazing to see! Guess the pitch controls were not going to have enough range to dial that down! |
@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. |
@mijostyn Some sites show 1980 some 1981 General
Vinyl Engine says Luxman PD 300Belt Drive Turntable (1982-1984)
An AI search engine gives this answer You’re right; there seems to be some confusion around the release date of the Luxman PD-300. While many sources cite 1975, others indicate it was introduced in 1980. It’s not uncommon for vintage audio equipment to have discrepancies in dating. If you have a specific source in mind, I’d be happy to help clarify further!
So far even the latest search date slightly predates the SOTA Star Sapphire which is 1984.
Steven W. Watkinson, Various | Sep 5, 2008 | First Published: Feb 5, 1984 The SOTA Sapphire was the first, and the most successful in terms of sales, of the new generation of high-end American turntables. AI Search engine shows Yourelease date of sota star sapphire CopilotThe SOTA Star Sapphire turntable was introduced in 19841. It was an advancement over the original Sapphire model, featuring vacuum clamping to further reduce vibrations and improve sound quality. |
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