Basis Ovation / 2500 vs Sota Cosmos IV

Everything that was said about Basis is true and can also be said about Sota. Its 2 slightly different flavors, either way you have a world class turntable and great service. The sound will have as much to do with arm/cartridge synergy as anything else. I have the Cosmos and have listened extensively to the Basis and would be completely happy with either one.

No doubt the Cosmos is a good table and likely you will be happy should you acquire it. As I recall Paul Seydor reviewed a Sota Cosmos in TAS within the last several years. He loved it. Subsequent to that he reviewed the Basis 2200 and stated it blew away any turntable he had ever heard. For reference, the Basis 2500 you are considering will perform better than the 2200. Likely perusing P. Seydor's reviews will reveal whatever the differences are between the Cosmos and Basis 2200. Paul owns Quads, a good sign in my book, and seems like one of the more level headed reviewers out there.

I owned a Basis Ovation for several yrs and loved it. Replaced it with a Debut. My buddy has had his Ovation for yrs with superb results. During his 1st yr of ownership he had to locate the table on top of his subwoofer. Many tables require placement on some type of isolation stand to reduce footfalls and other vibrations that impact fidelity negatively. Whereas with the Ovation's outstanding suspension, similar to the Debut's, there was no sonic impact in placing it on a subwoofer. An amazing testament to the quality of the Ovation and its suspension. In my experience, the suspension enables hearing micro dynamic details overlooked by many other tables and which adds a lot of enjoyment to listening sessions. If you like the Ovation, I would not hesitate to acquire it due to it no longer being in the Basis line. It is built like a rock and Basis will support it in the unlikely event there are problems.

Thanks to all who have responded !

Basis Debut vacuum owners: Has anyone had any issues with the vacuum system ? Out seal failures ? Vacuum pump failures or noise ?

Thanks

No problems with mine in perhaps 5-7 years that I've had it. The pump isn't overly noisy, and they give you enough hose to keep the pump well away from the table and your listening location. The other thing that's nice is that you can adjust the air pressure for the hold-down, so you can use the least amount necessary.

Although, I don’t own a Basis Debut vacuum table, I do own a Basis 2800 Signature with the vacuum hold-down. I purchased the table from an authorized Basis dealer as a demo unit more than five years ago. I don’t know the exact age of the table, but I’m sure it is at least 6+ years old. The 2800, Vector tonearm and the vacuum hold-down have worked flawlessly the entire time.

FYI – I had the wall behind my equipment stand opened up and re-plastered, so I could run the vacuum hose and pressure controller line into the attic where I already had a power outlet. The hose supply with the unit was more than sufficient to locate the pump in the attic; subsequently the noise floor from on my vacuum table is dead quiet.