SOTA Millennia - Comments?

Sit,

I have comments on the Millennia and Sota in general.

I too have grown accustomed to the brand, having bought a Star with an electronic flywheel from Robert Becker at a CES show in Chicago too many years ago. I had a platter upgrade about 15 years ago and still use it today.

I bought a Millennia from Kirk and Donna Bodindet, two very fine people, at the 2005 CES show. I have yet to put it into service. It is a departure from the typical Sota design in that it is not a sprung table. The fit and finish is top notch, typical of Sota products, and the price is reasonable when you consider the vacuum feature.

A while back I began building a table and chose the Sota bearing and platter along with their vacuum pump. A year or so ago I decided to cast a 50 lb lead platter to bond to the Sota table. I had two made and also sent the platter from the Millennia back to Sota for the retrofit. I hope to have both platters back sometime soon at which time I'll set the Millennia up and see how it performs. I have no reason to believe it's performance will be less than stellar.

I believe the success that the Bodinets have with their company is due to the lack of greed on their part to follow the ever escalating price spiral seen in many other table designs. That, plus a solid design and reputation for value, make their tables an excellent value. When The Millennia is up and running I'll post an opinion.

Stilty,it amazes me why on Audiogon so many folks get so annoyed when someone attempts to input critical "opinons" about specific products,that they have some contrasting experiences with.

I "never" even mentioned any names!!!......Where do you come off having the credentials to psychoanalyze me?Or my motives!Why should something so dumb,get this far?

Of course,from a ton of what I've seen here,the majority of folks continuously stoke the preferred mfgr of the day,and of course defend their pals who own said products.

It is increasingly obvious that many Forumites get peeved if someone attempts to input an "opinion" about a popular product that has gained some favor with the press, and the owners who shelled out big dollars for it.

OK,I'll walk on egg shells if I want to express an opinion from now on.

Too bad you missed my point,which was in defense of the "hobby" actually.I guess some would rather see my post as negative,rather than look a little deeper.

Basically what I intended to imply(yes,it could have been worded differently,but I NEVER mentioned anyone specifically,so please don't condescend to me,because you "know" an offended person,or have the particular product that I "may" have been alluding to)was that there is frequently something better,for "less money"(this used to be important to many folks)than some high priced,well reviewed "pretty faced/underdeveloped" designs.There are quite a few,actually.

Sorry if that offends,or makes me seem angry.In the future I'll go along with what so popular "here" and kiss up to our favorite dealers and mfgrs,regardless of what they put on the table....

Best

FWIW, I owned a Sota Star Sapphire Series III (with vacuum), which was a product of the original Sota company, for most of the 1990s. Even when I owned it, I had the feeling that the bass response was a little on the "woolly" or muddy side and I could always hear pitch instability on piano notes. However, I could never be sure that the problem was due to the SSIII or to the way the particular LP was mastered. Around 2001, I replaced the SSIII with a Nottingham Analog Hyperspace. Listening to the same LPs on the Notts (with the same tonearm and cartridge in both cases, I might add), I came to believe that the SSIII was indeed to blame for the flaws I had perceived. About a year ago, I moved to a Lenco L75 in a custom wood plinth, still with the same tonearm (Triplanar) and now using a Koetsu Urushi. With the Lenco, bass reproduction and piano rendition took another great leap forward vs the Notts. I realize that the Cosmos and the Millenium are new products that supersede the Star Sapphire. They have a lot of avid fans here, so I assume that the problems I heard with the SSIII have been eliminated (altho it is not obvious to me how this was addressed), but it's something to be aware of. Certainly they are both great looking and apparently well made.

Btw,Stiltskin...I never once said "over priced and under performing products for the jaded and clueless".As you seem to think I had.It seems it is "you" who are attempting to single me out for criticism,and I'll bet I can figure out why!

I mentioned absolutely NO names at all.

Can you point that out if I did,in "those" words?It seems it would complement your attitude towards me to use that against me,but you misquoted me!

Any reason why you did so?I'd always thought you to be a pretty nice fellow,so surely you must have some hidden agenda(anger?defense of a friend?a product you thought I might have alluded to?just for the hell of it?).

Being "clueless"(since that seemed to be a catalyst here)does not need to be taken as an insult,and in my case it was meant in sarcasm,because many folks(and it is perfectly fine,btw)are unaware of alternative products,which happen to cost less.I'm one of them!!This "last" sentance was my exact point,and YES,I should have worded it differently.But I'm too angry-:)

"Still",best to you,and let's not get carried away,like I appear to be doing.Hmm,I DO have to get a life myself-:)

Sirspeedy I did understand your point the moment I read it and its certainly an issue no audio media in print or other will ever go.

You've never been known to be lost for words here on Audiogon over the years, thats for sure....

Anyway keep up the good work and forget about it.