2. analog
  3. 181738-1590

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 3 responses by terry9

terry9
2,243 posts
 

Don't think twice about it. If (and with the big SME, it's pretty unlikely) you ever abandon analogue, you'll get most or all of your money back when you sell. A great turntable with a mediocre cartridge will still sound very, very good. And turntables don't wear out after 500 hours!

If I didn't already own an air bearing, I'd be salivating at the prospect.

terry9
2,243 posts
 

" it looks like it will be another 15K to make the 30/12 sing"

I would NEVER look at it that way. Rather, the table and arm are SO GOOD that it will bring out the best in even a $15k cartridge. Only a great table can do that.

A great cartridge with a second class table and arm will sound good for second class. But still second class.

A great table and arm with a mediocre cartridge will sound far better - not as good as a great table with a great cartridge, but still first class, not second. That table will bring out the best in any cartridge you use. And it will never wear out - a cartridge can go after 2000 hours or 500 hours - or 5 hours if you are unlucky or make a mistake. Just look at the horror stories people around here tell, like "The cleaning lady swears she didn’t touch the table, but now the diamond cantilever is hanging from my Koetsu and it’s a 10k rebuild."

I’ve come to close to that myself. You can’t make that kind of mistake with a table or an arm. And no rebuild required, either.

terry9
2,243 posts
 

Yes,nferr, but it will be a 'forever' table. The rest can be upgraded at leisure. 

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