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  #151  
Old 11-12-2019, 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by mulveling View Post
A SOTA Sapphire or Nova is an excellent buy. I got hooked on vinyl for life when I wisely chose to start with a SOTA Star III (predecessor to Nova). They will run forever with minimal maintenance. Their highly effective suspension means you don't need to design exotic, difficult, or expensive isolation solutions around the deck. I still have mine, refreshed to Nova V status. Get an exotic wood and it will turn heads for life. The SME 309 should be a good match. I had no problem changing the belt on my SOTA; never heard that before? I have a Clearaudio Master Innovation I also love but it is 6x the price much more difficult to optimize; requires a lot of external isolation.

I had seen a YouTube video of someone attempting to change the belt on his SOTA (I don't remember which model) but he propped the 'table up between two chairs and went underneath it to get to the belt. That scared me off, even though I wasn't considering a new turntable at the time.

Fast forward to another website posting from 2017 with a guy who has a Sapphire, and his version of replacing the belt is far simpler. I just found this. Here's the link:
https://stevefolberg.wordpress.com/2...ire-turntable/

The Sapphire I saw at NYAS was probably a custom finish; piano black isn't one of the standard choices on the website. But it was gorgeous. What had me thinking of a SOTA was their reputation for being practically immune to footfalls and other nasties like them. I have my VPI on a Gingko Cloud platform, and it's a vast improvement, but the VPI is 27 years old, and even though I haven't been playing much vinyl, I still like the idea of a good turntable in the setup. The SOTA is deeper than my VPI, but it looks as though it will fit the shelf I have. Thanks for the encouragement.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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  #152  
Old 11-16-2019, 07:06 AM
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Amid all the internal furor over my trip to the NYAS, my thoughts have been broadening, and there are several other avenues I might pursue with regard to a "one last splurge" on my system, in addition to the TV, turntable, and speakers. Some are more likely than others.

Equipment racks: Salamander Synergy racks would look nice, either black or walnut (no oak, unfortunately). These would accompany that 55" OLED mentioned earlier. Two 303s and one 323 would do the trick. Core models only, as I don't want the enclosed version. Having trouble finding the price on that; I think the core 303 is $599. This is probably the least likely of the bunch right now.

Cables: upgrade my Transparent Plus ICs to Super on the main sources (SACD and Blu-ray), then go to Shunyata Venom NR v12s on all sources. This would include the Technics TT if I got it, as it has a detachable PC (yay), and I'll be able to put Supers on the TT as well. Mostly curious as to whether the Venom could wring some more out of my sources or not. The improvement (noticeable but not profound) brought by putting a Transparent Premium on my C2300 increases my curiosity on that.

Power: visually, a Furman IT-Reference 15i would look way cool next to my SPR-20i. And with isolated filter banks it might render the Venom PCs somewhat moot. I don't know that noise is a big problem here, but as I said, it would LOOK cool.

None of this happens this year, but I've started thinking about it.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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  #153  
Old 11-16-2019, 07:24 AM
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You have The LOU FLU !
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  #154  
Old 11-17-2019, 02:52 PM
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You have The LOU FLU !
Actually, it's only a cold thus far. In order to get the flu I'd need more money .

Besides, we're talking about only one of the possibilities, maybe two, happening in reality.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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  #155  
Old 12-07-2019, 06:37 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mulveling View Post
A SOTA Sapphire or Nova is an excellent buy. I got hooked on vinyl for life when I wisely chose to start with a SOTA Star III (predecessor to Nova). They will run forever with minimal maintenance. Their highly effective suspension means you don't need to design exotic, difficult, or expensive isolation solutions around the deck. I still have mine, refreshed to Nova V status. Get an exotic wood and it will turn heads for life. The SME 309 should be a good match. I had no problem changing the belt on my SOTA; never heard that before? I have a Clearaudio Master Innovation I also love but it is 6x the price much more difficult to optimize; requires a lot of external isolation.

I forgot to ask, which tonearm are you using? BTW, I like the looks of your SOTA. I need to reach out to them again, as I never heard from them. Perhaps they somehow didn't get my e-mail inquiry.

With all the areas I'm considering, trying to determine where to take this, it occurred to me I'm overwhelming myself. Lately I've been dealing in speakers, investigating in Polk's L800 flagship, but the "fuzzy" specs are turning me off a bit. I can't focus properly on any one area if I'm running around on several, so I may want to re-calibrate.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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  #156  
Old 12-07-2019, 07:40 PM
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Donna from SOTA responded to a re-send of my original e-mail. They would indeed install my 309 if I send it to them. There woud be an upchange for a high-gloss black custom finish, Donna guesstimated $150, but would have to investigate. SOTA is back on my list.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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  #157  
Old 12-27-2019, 10:29 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mulveling View Post
A SOTA Sapphire or Nova is an excellent buy. I got hooked on vinyl for life when I wisely chose to start with a SOTA Star III (predecessor to Nova). They will run forever with minimal maintenance. Their highly effective suspension means you don't need to design exotic, difficult, or expensive isolation solutions around the deck. I still have mine, refreshed to Nova V status. Get an exotic wood and it will turn heads for life. The SME 309 should be a good match. I had no problem changing the belt on my SOTA; never heard that before? I have a Clearaudio Master Innovation I also love but it is 6x the price much more difficult to optimize; requires a lot of external isolation.

I seem to keep quoting this. I just like the TT pic!

Do you know what performance differences, real or theoretical, exist between the Sapphire and Nova? Wondering what the extra $900 for the Nova gets you. I also queried Donna at Sota on this. No reply just yet. I do know there are physical differences with the sub-chassis and the Nova's platter appears to be thicker, but that could be due to the Nova's thicker sub-chassis (1") vs. the Sapphire (.125"). And the Nova sub-chassis is aluminum and acrylic, as opposed to the Sapphire's, which has MDF in it as well.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks

Last edited by prepress; 12-28-2019 at 10:00 PM.
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  #158  
Old 01-03-2020, 02:29 PM
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Default A break, perhaps?

This AM I was in the laundromat, and as usual take something light along to read/look at. Today it was the new Music Direct catalog, and as I was looking through it I would see things that appealed to me which were within reasonable striking distance financially. "That would be nice to have," I'd think on several items. I soon realized what was happening: I'm creating a mindset that tells me I have to pursue these things simply because they appeal to me and they'd be cool; I'm on the road to talking myself into buying something that would serve no purpose within the parameters I've set already. Until the NY Audio Show, I wasn't as hyped about a new turntable as I am right now. Or power cords, until I saw the high praise the Venom NRs are getting. Or music servers, having dropped the idea initially. Curiosity grows into an obsession; one must be careful with obsessions. I was all but set on a Sota Sapphire, then I was reminded of the Luxman PD-151, which is just within my financial wheelhouse and looks as good as the PD-171A, and my mind was off to the races again. I was looking at the McIntosh MR-87 tuner, and thinking I'd like to try one, despite having a Magnum Dynalab MD102 I haven't used in months.

The solution may be to find/make time to play the system I have, to remind myself of how good it is. Maybe disengage from the the forums and magazines for a week or two, or the research I've been doing. Stressing myself out over this stuff is no way to conduct business, as it were. What do I really want, which of the proposed system changes makes the most sense, these are questions to consider rather than being wowed by the next thing that turns my head. Who knows, I may end up buying nothing! Unlikely, but one never knows!

We'll see if I can do this. "See it, want it" is a dangerous place to be!
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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  #159  
Old 06-06-2020, 01:10 PM
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Default Revisit post #1

I thought it might be interesting for me to revisit my initial post, to put my current thoughts on this journey where I can see them. Especially now, as I am (in theory) only three years away from retiring and have recently come out from under COVID-19. Things change.

Tuner. I indeed replaced the MD 90 with a refurb MD 102, and it may be a bit of a collector's item: it's the solid state version, but has a tube faceplate (factory error). There was a very mild inner buzz at one point to move up to the MD 105 (the 102's replacement) or even go for one of the internet tuners; of the current models, the 807 is the least-expensive option. But I haven't used my tuner in some time, so unless I decide to really get into more radio listening (internet or otherwise) or streaming, it's a go-nowhere idea.

Power Cords: I still wrestle with the idea of replacing the Transparent HPPCs on sources with either Transparent Premiums or Shunyata Venom NR12s (or even NR10s). I'm guessing the Venoms are less stiff than the Premiums, but the Premiums can be gotten via Transparent's upgrade program, so there's no increase in cable clutter. I still have a bunch of WW 7 and 5.2 cords occupying space, also some PS Audio Jewel ACs. Haven't gotten around to selling or tossing any of them.

Interconnects. Simple: will I or won't I, as an alternative to the PCs, use Transparent's upgrade program to move my two main sources (Blu-ray and SACD) to Super IC from the Plus I have now? The combined cost would come down quite a bit with the trade-in. Neither my tuner nor laserdisc player are major sources, so they stay with Plus UNLESS a move to Super is so incredible on my main sources I can't (don't) resist.

Turntable. The VPI is gone, replaced by a SOTA Sapphire Series VI. I did cannibalize the VPI by re-using my SME 309 arm from it, plus a new Grado Sonata 3 Timbre cartridge. Done.

Speakers. Will ride my Mirages until they die probably, and then get whatever I can afford that suits my preferences best.

Preamp & power amp. I enjoy my C2300 and MC501 combo. However, there is a real but not imminent possibility that I will sell them off in the coming years, more likely so for the 501s. I am contemplating the fact that I am getting older and my ability to manage the 501s physically diminishes as time goes on. Downsizing to an integrated, a stereo amp, or a lighter pair of monos is on the table. I have begun looking at options gently; it's not something I'm hard after at the moment. The Odyssey Stratos monos are the current main contender, and even at 60lbs they're lighter than the 91lb Macs. They would have been my initial choice to replace my B&Ks, had I not been turned off by the supposed long break-in time. Those days are gone.

TV. A Sony OLED is the only option here, as far as I'm concerned. But parting with the still-excellent Pioneer Elite PRO-111FD is difficult, and I don't feel a big nudge to do it. To be honest, I'm lazy regarding what might be an arduous process of selling it or even giving it to a friend or something. As for the Sony, the 55" version rather than the 65" is more practical, as the 55" will allow me to move my speakers closer together and perhaps improve imaging.

Equipment Racks. Planning to keep my Sanus Euros for the forseeable future. The Salamanders might be an improvement, but this isn't a major concern now.

Power conditioning. Same as before, I'd like a Furman IT-Reference 15i to go alongside my SPR-20i voltage regulator, thus replacing the Elite-15 PFi there now. This is for the sheer look, as having the power components match visually is a preference. No other reason.

The above is more about a choice of determined possible moves rather than sheer curiosity. And as before, wallet has the final say, and my maneuvering room may be more limited now, but I made the TT change work, so who knows?
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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  #160  
Old 11-26-2020, 08:00 AM
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A major move is coming tomorrow. I've taken the plunge on a Sony A9G 65" OLED, and it's scheduled to be delivered and set up tomorrow. Today, I plan to work on getting the apartment ready for its arrival. Since the A9G is the same width as my Kuro with its speakers attached, it fits the space, so no worries there.

Four factors made this happen: 1) Sony lowered the price; 2) Bank of America offered me a deal allowing me to do a balance transfer and pay over time with no interest; 3) I won't be traveling for Christmas, so that's money I won't spend; 4) the store I'm buying from has a program which donates TVs to families in their area who can't afford to buy one. If I had room I'd have kept the Kuro, but this way someone will be getting a very good TV.

I've also got a Magnum Dynalab ST-2 in house, haven't set it up yet. I'd think it will be an improvement since it's omnidirectional. We'll see.
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SOTA, Grado, SME, Van den Hul, Gingko turntable setup; Pioneer Elite LD, BDP; Sony OLED TV; Magnum Dynalab tuner, antenna; MIT S-video cable; Pangea HDMI cables; DVDO video processor; McIntosh SACD, preamp, power amps; Telefunken Black Diamond preamp tubes; Kimber IC; Transparent IC, PC, SC; Mirage speakers; PS Audio, Shunyata PC; Audio Additives RCA caps; Furman power conditioning; Sanus: racks
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