Question regarding reputation of SOTA tables

They were highly recommended in the old days when the company was more active. I have owned only one I took in as a trade but can tell you that they are excellent tables. I have sold more brands of good tables than I can easily recall and would have been happy to sell them if the occasion arose. Just because a component is not one the current recommended list does not mean that it is not good. Like it of not, heavily advertised products are more likely to appear in magazine reviews. Have you tried searching for old reviews? Check Vinyl Engine to see what they have. Take my word for it as someone who has been around a long time, they are the equal of anything available now at anything like the price if well set up, enjoy it and don't worry.

maybe they refuse to spend big advertising fees..

I know that Paul Seydor of the Absolute Sound wrote a very good review on the Cosmos some years ago. A reviewer at Stereophile owned a Cosmos as a reference table but I forget his name and do not know if he is still an active reviewer.

I had a sapphire and loved it. I went up to a Cosmos with the vac and I am satisfied in the extreme.

I am done on the upgrade path. If my fr arm evers gives up the ghost, I will probably throw an Ikeda 407 on it.

Great tables and company to do business with in my opinion

My Sapphire is in great shape, but it's an older series I. I have no stores in the area that have tables on hand (they will special order a table if I commit to purchasing it). I have no way of knowing how my Sapphire ranks in performance with other tables. Been talking with Donna & Kirk at SOTA about trading in my Sapphire for a refurbished series III Nova; but before I commit, I'd like to be sure there's not a better table out there for the same money. And, if one reads Stereophile's list of recommended components, there's some great sounding (according to their reviewers)that look sexier than SOTAs.

Hard to advise you without knowing your arm and cartridge and how much money you want to spend. I am a turntable dealer but I would you to buy used or demo, get a lot more for money. As Forrest would say, "handsome is as handsome does." Actually, an aunt of mine use to say this also.