SOTA vs VPI (or stick with my Rega?)

@gritter2 - having gone down the road you are considering here is a link to all of the mods I completed on my Rega Planar II

http://image99.net/blog/files/category-turntable-mod0027s.html

Basically - I have replaced EVERYTHING! - the only thing left is the cover and the on/off switch.

It sounds fantastic, but it was a very long and $$$ journey - however I learned a lot along the way

Would I do it again? - NO

I've not heard VPI or SOTA TT's, but I think I might lean towards those brands

Another fine looking TT is the Music Hall mmf 7.3 - I think this would get a lot of my attention

Having said that - the best Rega mod's I have tried (in order) are...
- Audiomods Classic II tonearm
- ISOsub GT 2 S UPGRADE SUB PLATTER  Upgrade
- SRM/TECH Acrylic Platter  Upgrade

Hope that does not muddy the waters for you :-)

Regards - Steve

I went from a Rega Planar 2 with a DV 23R to a SOTA Sapphire III with a Magnepan Unitrac I and another DV 23R.  I've never looked back.  Never had to add any tweaks; the suspension is nearly faultless and the build quality is superb.  Playback is neutral and fully detailed.  I use the Reflex clamp which seems to do pretty well and went with a Vinyl Flat instead of going to a vacuum system.  Way less expensive and much more compact;-)

SOTA is great to work with, too.  When my Unitrac died, they made it very easy and inexpensive for me to refurb the table to take advantage of the Graham Phantom I'd decided to go with.  Got the series V platter and bearing, a custom arm board and new suspension.  With the DV XX2 Mk II, I feel like I'm extracting just about everything that's on the vinyl.

You pays your monies and takes your chances, but I strongly recommend the value proposition that SOTA delivers.  That said, both VPI and SOTA are outstanding tables and you won't go wrong with either one.

Good luck & happy listening!

@effischer
Yes that’s definitely an important consideration you've pointed out. I’ve had tables on very suboptimal stands/floors before, and the 4-point SOTA suspension works wonders to prevent all kinds of problems you’d otherwise suffer. In my home, the ClearAudio decks basically require a high-end rack under them.

The SOTA suspension is not like those lightweight, way too unstable/springy suspensions you see in other tables - it’s much better.

You’ll be a bit more limited in what arms you can mount on suspended tables, but the SOTAs can handle a bit over 2 lbs, which covers the vast majority of arms. My Fidelity Research FR64fx (pretty heavy) makes the cut, but the 3 lbs FR64S monstrosity doesn’t.

@effischer @mulveling What are your thoughts on the Origin Live Silver MK3A tonesarm? This is currently being bundled with a 2016 SOTA Sapphire V. Seems promising. 

I also just found a used VPI Prime (single owner trade-in) through a dealer at a fair price. So both options are on the table.

Thanks again for all your input. Appreciate it!

I don't have any experience with the Origin tonearms, so can only offer one observation.  The JMW arm on the Prime has VTA on-the-fly.  I consider this the single most important feature any tonearm can have.  Even a minute adjustment can make a huge difference in the quality of playback.  This is because no two records are precisely the same thickness; that makes any fixed VTA adjustment an inherent compromise.  I have fooled around with the VTA feature on the JMW and found it to be smooth, easy and repeatable.  Precisely what you want.  The VTA on my Graham is a bit too stiff for my liking, but holds the setting perfectly and really lets me dial in the XX2.

I'm personally pretty picky on this stuff, so may not be a particularly good touchstone for you on certain fine points.  I believe that the cartridge has to compliment the speakers, the tonearm has to allow the cart to perform to its maximum capacity and the table has to spin reliably, precisely and silently.  Bear in mind that the beauty of tables like SOTA and VPI is that you can change arms & carts freely to find the synergy that pleases you.  I like the SOTA approach to the table, but given the choice you've presented, I'd tend to favor the VPI because of the arm that's on it presuming everything else is equal.  

Note that the JMW is not an easy retro-fit to SOTA; requires modification of the plinth.  Not something I'm in favor of.  That means VTA-OTF options for SOTA are reduced by one very good tonearm manufacturer.

Like I said, I'm picky so these things are important to me.  Consider how important they may be to you.  None of this stuff is cheap and you want to make sure you get something that makes you happy for some time to come.