I would guess that the cosmos might sound lean compared to the Sapphire in that it would be less colored, which is a good thing. But in general, no, I don’t think the cosmos taken by itself would be a lean sounding turntable. I think it is likely a big improvement over the Sapphire. Of course, this is only one man’s opinion.
SOTA Cosmos and other models - lean sounding?
I have owned an older SOTA Star (vacuum) Sapphire Series III for nine years and it's been great. I am considering either upgrading it or selling and buying a newer (not new) Star/Nova/Cosmos and if necessary upgrade it a bit. I don't want to change the tonal balance much though... more about getting quieter and maybe more dynamics.
Digging back into reviews and forum posts on SOTA, I ran across a couple of comments that the Cosmos might be "lean" sounding that some other comparable tables. This really surprises me because my Star Sapphire always struck me as very full sounding. Or at least that's how my system sounds overall. The table sounds incredibly musical.
Does anyone experienced with SOTA tables know:
1. As you move up from a Sapphire to a Cosmos, it is known to sound a bit more lean?
2. Are these "lean" comments just outliers and do most people not experience the Cosmos or other SOTAs that way?
3. If you do think the SOTA Cosmos tend toward leanness, what other brands/models in the $3-4k range used ($6-9k retail) might have a fuller sound?
My system is a Koetsu Rosewood Signature, Jelco 850M, custom all-tube Berning preamp w/ phono, Quicksilver V4 amps, Verity Audio Parsifal Encores, and Cardas Golden Cross cabling. 29' x 16' x 7.5' room with concrete floors.
Thanks for thoughts!
Digging back into reviews and forum posts on SOTA, I ran across a couple of comments that the Cosmos might be "lean" sounding that some other comparable tables. This really surprises me because my Star Sapphire always struck me as very full sounding. Or at least that's how my system sounds overall. The table sounds incredibly musical.
Does anyone experienced with SOTA tables know:
1. As you move up from a Sapphire to a Cosmos, it is known to sound a bit more lean?
2. Are these "lean" comments just outliers and do most people not experience the Cosmos or other SOTAs that way?
3. If you do think the SOTA Cosmos tend toward leanness, what other brands/models in the $3-4k range used ($6-9k retail) might have a fuller sound?
My system is a Koetsu Rosewood Signature, Jelco 850M, custom all-tube Berning preamp w/ phono, Quicksilver V4 amps, Verity Audio Parsifal Encores, and Cardas Golden Cross cabling. 29' x 16' x 7.5' room with concrete floors.
Thanks for thoughts!