To SME or not to SME?

What these posts and forums underscores is how everyone has an opinion mostly based on his or her preferences, purchases and in many cases biases.
There really is little objectivity.
All you can do is take note, filter, distill and then trust your gut :-)
Congrats on the purchase. I'm sure you will be more than happy.
I just went through the same exercise and am now waiting for my 20/12 to arrive.
Don't know about you, but I'm as excited as hell.
What cartridge do you plan on using?

Hello everyone. I took the plunge and after some delays in setup (it's cottage season up here) I've now had a chance to do a bit of listening. I don't have time for anything approaching a review at the moment but I would like to simply put it to you that this was a very satisfying purchase. I'm trying not to take a huge bite of this audio candy all at once, preferring instead to nibble around the edges, but come this fall and the cool weather, I intend to re-discover a bunch of LP's. This is a very, very good turntable, even with my lowly DV Te Kaitora Rua cart and Nordost Tyr phono cable. Cheers!

Congrats Mikesmith!
Enjoy!
(still waiting for my 20/12A)

For about a third the money, you can get a Sota Cosmos that has similar design principals as the SME, is US made, comes in a variety of finishes and will likely sound as good or better than the SME. And they partner well with the SME V that you already have. My Cosmos is a revelation compared to my other tables, and not because it does one thing well, but because it does everything well, with no particular emphasis or deficiency. And with the vacuum platter, it has something the SME will never have.

Alterntively, I would guess that the big Basis is the Sota's equal as a 4 point suspended table and either is cheaper, and I think better, than the SME 20. I admit, I havent heard the SME 20, but trying to put together a consensus from what I have read, it seems like a great table with no life or spark, much like marrying a model. I know the Sota is not like that.

Manitunc.
Seriously mate. You haven't heard the SME table and your only source of reference is what you have read on line. Hardly objective commenting!

"and will likely sound as good or better than the SME"...and you know this how?

And as I stated above, herein lies the problem with attaching too much importance to these forums.
While all input is good some is just not very helpful or as in this case just plain biassed in favor of what the commentator owns.
Plus the poster has already bought the table and is now just getting to know it and to try to burst his bubble like this is just not cool.

Enjoy your Sota which I'm sure is very nice, and me and Mikesmith will enjoy our SME's :-)

Aloha!