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Estimated price (community-sourced)
Around — community and catalog average, updates slowly
The SOTA Sound Inventions SOTA Sapphire is a high-end, belt-drive, two-speed turntable originally introduced in 1981. Its defining features are a heavy, individually balanced cast-aluminum platter, a four-point spring-suspended sub-chassis, and a sapphire-disc thrust bearing designed to isolate the record and tonearm from environmental vibration. Depending on production series and configuration, the Sapphire used either a brushless DC servo motor or an AC synchronous motor with synthesized, regulated drive electronics. Later versions incorporated magnetically assisted or magnetically levitated platter bearing arrangements and upgraded motor-control options such as the Eclipse package. The turntable was supplied without a tonearm in many configurations and used interchangeable, tonearm-specific armboards. The original Sapphire is no longer manufactured in its original form, although SOTA continues to produce modern Sapphire Series models.
Turntable mechanics and performance
Tonearm specifications
Size, weight, and appearance
Specifications are community-contributed and may not be accurate or complete. Verify all details with the manufacturer before making purchasing decisions. Terms & Conditions
The closest alternatives on specs, description and the systems they turn up in, with the specs they share set side by side.
The Sapphire (with Vacuum System)'s wow & flutter is 0.040% against the SOTA Sapphire's 0.030%, its platter weight 6.35 kg (14 lbs) against 18.15 kg (40 lbs), and its weight 18.14 kg (40 lbs) against 18.15 kg (40 lbs). Both share drive type (Belt).
The Star's platter weight is 6.35 kg (14 lbs) against the SOTA Sapphire's 18.15 kg (40 lbs) and its width 514 mm against 514.35 mm. Both share wow & flutter (0.030%) and drive type (Belt).
The Sapphire 5's wow & flutter is 0.040% against the SOTA Sapphire's 0.030%, its platter weight 9.07 kg (20 lbs) against 18.15 kg (40 lbs), and its weight 20 kg (44 lbs) against 18.15 kg (40 lbs). Both share drive type (Belt).
The Melody's wow & flutter is 0.040% against the SOTA Sapphire's 0.030%, its platter weight 30 kg (66 lbs) against 18.15 kg (40 lbs), and its platter material POM against Composite. Both share drive type (Belt).
Empire 698
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