S.A.M. Turntables...


  • "Is there anybody in there?  Just nod if you can hear me."

  • Does any one own, or have experience with, any of the S.A.M. turntables from Croatia??  I am strongly considering their Renegade table, possibly with the two arm setup, using a Clearaudio TT-3 as one of the arms, and the S.A.M. Calista ll (med-high mass unipivot) as the other arm.  Another possibility is their Reference table with the same arm configuration.  I would like to match one of these tables with a Benz Micro (probably a Glider) and a London Decca (maybe the Maroon).  Thoughts and opinions appreciated...
hdcls
I have seen these and am intrigued by the price as well. I have not seen or heard one of these so my comments should be taken more as questions and not outright dismissal:
1- Interesting design. Not the way I would have done it but I'm not in the TT manufacturing business.
2- I have experience with other "heavy metal" turntable designs e.g. Acoustic Solid and Acoustic Sound from Germany. Looks great but often under performs. IMO these designs can suffer from metal-to-metal chatter and loose tolerances. Kuzma is an exception and maybe these guys are doing some of the same, but I don't see evidence of that from photos.
3- Crinkle finish paint is attractive but not durable, especially if used on the drive edge of the platter which received direct wear from the drive belt.
4- I question the brass models. Brass has good mass but is soft. It works well for static items like tonearm counterweights but it provides a less than optimal direct metal to metal connection. Threads drilled into brass tend to strip easily and requires periodic retensioning. This is doubly true for the brass tonearm model. Same Kuzma exception as noted above.

"...there are a few AK members that have purchased them and are delighted." 

Good for them! hdcls should check out Audio Karma, but I wouldn't change a word of my comment. 

Tonykay
tonykay, did it ever occur to you that some of those other TT manufactures may be scamming it's customers?S.A.M. sells direct, the price isn't doubled or more when it arrives at the dealer. Manufacturing cost are a lot less in Croatia than in the US or Europe.
They have been around for a number of years and steadily growing in popularity.
As totem said, there are a few AK members that have purchased them and are delighted.

BillWojo
I have seen those S.A.M. turntables for sale here on Audiogon. They seem too good to be true, for the price offered. That’s no disrespect to the manufacturer. If they can make and sell them for that price, OK. If it were me (and I’m not you), I would look for a well-reviewed, time-tested design like the Technics 1200. They’re available everywhere. You can send your funds to Croatia, but if it turns out to be a scam, or something less than your expectations, are you sure you can get compensation  It’s your money, you decide, but I would give it some serious thought first.