Thoughts on moving from a 1200G to Sota Saphire or above

“Not everyone has an extraordinary hearing ability, especially at certain age.” I can relate to that Chakster. I do like my table Dionisofun but just wondering if I can up the game. Getting another arm and cart might be an option but that would probably cost me $5k. Need consider if I want to invest that much in the 1200G. One comment I’ve heard more than once with the Sota on this thread is the black background. That sounds interesting. Do other 1200G/GAE owners feel their tables do the same? 

I would put my money on the Sota.
1)The vacuum hold down insures a decrease in wow and intimate record contact with the platter. 
2) The Sota suspension will give you insurance airborne and mechanical shock.
3) The Technics will sound incisive and dynamic at first listen, but those are actually distortions of the direct drive system micro-doubling the record groove information. It is fatiguing to listen to after awhile.
4) The Sota’s suspension will cause your tonearm and cartridge of choice to work hard extracting information from your records.

If I was looking at dropping 10 large, would be looking at a phono stage upgrade over a table. 

I am very intrigued in the SOTA as it has not been imported in France for so many years and with mitigated success, and it has so many praised in US forum.

bfoura
There is no doubt that you can improve your turntable by changing the tonearm. I replaced the arm on my Technics 1200G with a Glanz and the improvements were notable. This modification, however, only made sense because: a) the Glanz is an exceptionally superior tonearm; b) my old Ortofon Cadenza Bronze was replaced by a My Sonic Lab Ultra Eminent cartridge, considerably better.

I honestly don’t know if you’ll get real benefits just by changing it tonearm without replacing it with a superior cartridge.

Now the main point: was it worth investing so much in my Technics 1200G? Yes! I would do it again without hesitation!