LP12- Power Supply- Need education

Mijo, perhaps the modern or updated versions of the Star Sapphire are speed stable, but my late 90s Series III was anything but.  At the time, it was all I had to judge by, and it had me thinking that it is the nature of vinyl not to be able to deal with sustained piano notes. Then I found out, after owning a succession  of other turntables, that the star sapphire was the absolute worst in that regard. Every belt drive, idler drive, and direct drive turntable that I have owned since about 2000 is superior to the Star Sapphire in speed stability, and its shortcomings are quite easily heard. I do respect SOTA as a company, and rumor has it they fixed their problem, whatever it is or was. Surely they’ve now fixed it with the adoption of the Phoenix Eng control system. But please don’t suggest that speed instability can’t be heard.

@lewm wrote....Mijo, perhaps the modern or updated versions of the Star Sapphire are speed stable, but my late 90s Series III was anything but.

That was my experience with SOTA as well. The Phoenix inspired 3 phase SOTA Eclipse motor is an add-on option for the Sapphire and Nova series of tables and standard on the Cosmos. I am not sure how the new SOTA stock motors fair when compared to the older generations. I always admired SOTA's build quality

@mijostyn  You say you lived with an LP12 for 10 years...when was that?...thirty years ago!! 
Funny thing, I used to own a SOTA Sapphire, liked it for the time, but sold it and replaced it with a VPI 19, which killed it...then i sold the VPI when i heard what a well set up LP12 could do. This was many years ago, since then I have basically taken that LP12 and updated it to current Klimax status. Only thing left of the original LP12 is the top plate. To say that my old SOTA Sapphire could even come close to competing with my current Linn is a total joke. I will say to you...IF you want to hear how crappy your old SOTA Sapphire sounds, listen to a new LP12 Klimax. LMAO. 


@cleeds   +1

Hi Dave,
Could u tell us about the Klimax upgrade?
I have to say I never feel the LP12 sound stable, my direct drive t/t sounds better and less complicated to setup.
I felt the construction of the LP12 is flimsy and not exactly well made.

There are so many new entries t/t to the market in the last 10  years.
I am not sure how well the Lp12 lived up to the modern design.

@msnpassion. The LP12 Klimax...in its full guise consists of the Radikal Klimax motor controller, a Urika 2 phono stage...which is mounted on the Trampolin 2 base, the Keel sub-chassis and the latest corner reenforced plinth, the Cirkus bearing,the Linn Ekos Se tonearm and lastly the Kandid cartridge.
i personally don’t use a Urika phono stage, or the Ekos Se, Kandid or Klimax cased Radikal. Nonetheless, I think that all of the updates from the stock LP12 from years back transform the table into a far more accurate and resolving platform.
The Radikal and the more rigid subchassis, DC motor, and the more precise Cirkus bearing brought very very significant changes to what was an already good table....but not one that in the past could really compete with the best today. Personally, I believe that these later mods have brought the table competitive again.
Now, let’s hear it from the naysayers who heard a poorly set up LP12 decades ago...or owned one of the basic models and never got it set up right.
You say it feels flimsy??— not sure what you are talking about, or your frame of reference. Flimsy certainly isn’t one of the things that I would describe the LP12 as....robust yes,..flimsy, nah.