Should I buy an SME 30/12A for 15K?


I am a vinyl newbie with maybe 100 LPs (or less) in my collection. I have had a Technics SL1210GAE for past 2 years, I just plugged and played it. It’s good but my digital is almost as good or sometimes better.

I recently heard a SME 30/12A at the dealer’s, and it blew my mind, and my digital was no where close (the dealer had almost the same digital -- mine is Nagra Tube DAC, his was the Nagra HD DAC -- and we did on spot comparison, not an apples to apple of course but still best that we could under the circumstances).

 

Now given my relative inexperience with vinyl (I know next to nothing about setup), should I plunge for this offer which is offered to me at 1/3rd the retail price and probably an endgame TT for me.

 

Thoughts?

Also, is this as great an offer as I think it is, are there better TTs at 15K$ retail price (I cannot/will not buy used) than the SME 30/12A?

essrand

Showing 4 responses by gordon

Add me to the list of interested buyers, if you don’t purchase the table.

Stating the obvious, Rockport Lyras are in a whole different league than your Devores.

Fyi, SME have announced mk2 versions of their TTs, which will probably lower used values of existing models.

@nferre66 Did you read the original post?  Hint, "I recently heard a SME 30/12A at the dealer’s..."

@nferre66 Sorry, I guess my post was a bit cryptic.  I meant that you suggested that he pick up the TT because it might be a scam:

"If you decide to buy the SME, make arrangements to pick it up in person. You know what they say- if it seems to good to be true…."

When the OP had already gone to the dealer to listen to it.  

Perhaps I misunderstood what you meant by the quote above.