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Need Advice Sota Sapphire III + SME IV arm

I recently inherited my grandfather's SOTA Star Sapphire III TT equipped with a very nice SME IV tonearm. He probably bought this back in 1989 or '90 and it was never played. He bought some Infinity IRS Beta speakers and I think he just thought he needed the best of everything to put with it - but he really just played CDs at that point.

I've never had a vacuum TT before and am debating on what to do with it. Other than needing a new cartridge everything works great! My current system is Paradigm Monitor 9s with a Rega Brio-r.

I took the table in to my local Hi-Fi store that I bought my other equipment at and they were advising me to trade it in a get something like a Rega RP-6 instead. I'm not sure how to estimate what the SOTA and SME IV would sell for but I don't think that I am getting good trade in value...

Any advise on whether to just get a new cartridge (something like a Dynavector 10x5) and keep the SOTA or should I look in to selling it and get something like the Rega P6?

Thanks for any help!
Eric
enschicago
oldears
386 posts
 
It would be a trajedy to replace a SOTA + SME with a REGA. Get in touch with SOTA if you need help to get it running or reconditioned. The used value is $3500 minimum.
smoffatt
205 posts
 
I would take a Sota and SME over a Rega any day. If your TT has never been played since 1990 the suspension may have sagged and in need of a re-tuning. You should call Donna or Kirk at Sota and ask for advices. They will be more than happy to help you.

I currently have a Sota Cosmos IV in Cocobollo finish with a Graham Phantom and Ortofon A90 which i am very happy with the sonic results. I owned a Star Sapphire circa 1989-90 with SME V and that gave me many years of musical enjoyment before trading it in for the Cosmos.
mt10425
1,138 posts
 
Contact SOTA. Very nice people. I met them at AXPONA last year. I don't own one of their tables but, would if I was upgrading. The table you have would near (at) the top of my list. Do not trade it in for a newer, generic Rega, Project, Music Hall etc.
rodrigaj
32 posts
 
I would be wary of returning to the dealer who made that trade offer.

I foolishly did the same thing with a Linn Sodek / Ittok combination and traded for a Marantz (clearaudio) tt. I got $300 off the list price. That was a foolish mistake economically and for audible reasons.

I don't blame the dealer, he's making a living. I blame myself, for not thoroughly researching the value of the Linn and the choices available for moving on from 22 years of living with the Linn.

The SOTA requires set up patience, but you will be rewarded with your perseverance.
mulveling's avatar
mulveling
1,774 posts
 
Agree with the others; you'd be crazy to trade that in for Rega, unless you
were to net a wad of cash back (of course the reality is they'll ask you for your
table/arm PLUS a wad of cash, which is ludicrous).

Is that really a vacuum model? The Star series III (one step up from the
Sapphire
III) had a 4-point sprung suspension and a vacuum system. The Sapphire III
had
a 3-point suspension and no vacuum. The Star III is more desirable for its 4-
point suspension, but most of these models -- that haven't been refurbished
with a new platter -- will have their silicon platter lip in such poor condition
that
the vacuum hold-down fails (even if the pump still works fine, which it
probably
does).

My Star III (acquired 2007) had a bad lip -- I simply defeated the lip so that
records could at least lie flat on the platter (better than dishing outwards to a
slightly raised lip), and enjoyed all the other fine attributes of this excellent
table. With a quality arm like the SME IV, you'll have one hell of a table
(whether
it's a Sapphire or a Star, but especially if a Star).
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