SOTA has earned the acclaim of vinyl enthusiasts since they brought their first turntable to market in 1982. The Sapphire was quickly recognized as a brilliant performer, bringing hope to analog loyalists at the dawn of the digital age. LPs are still the standard by which true musical enjoyment and fidelity are measured. Furthermore, turntable design continues to evolve as a result of new materials and manufacturing methods. These days, SOTA products are the dedicated work of Kirk and Donna Bodinet in Worth, Illinois. The Bonidets sent us the Comet turntable package, which retails for around $1500 including a tonearm, cartridge, record clamp, and dust cover.

The Comet is a self-contained, belt-driven turntable that features a thick base finished in black texture coat. Three threaded feet level the base. A 24-pole AC synchronous motor drives a hard white polymer subplatter, and a substantial black polymer platter of sandwich composition rests upon the subplatter. Although the design layout is similar to that of my Axis, the Comet's materials are in stark contrast to the Linn's machined aluminum platter and subplatter.

Another difference between the Axiss and the Comet is the bearing design. The LINN's spindle is terminated at a blunt point that makes contact with the bottom of a lubricated shaft. The SOTA's spindle bottom is flat, and makes contact with a hardened ball at the end of its shaft. The Comet was fitted with the optional S-300 tonearm, an OEM product built to SOTA's specifications by Rega. An attractive wood-bodied Grado Platinum cartridge completes the package. The $300 Platinum is the least expensive of Grado's Reference line.

I spent more time unpacking the turntable and discarding the shredded newspaper packing material than I did setting up the system. The only adjustment I performed was to recalibrate the tracking force, which was slightly off according to my Shure gauge. I attached the gray RCA interconnects to my E.A.R. 834 phono preamplifier and placed the table upon my Townshend 3D Seismic Sink.

My usual review procedure is to begin by listening to orchestral music, to determine whether or not a component can capture the life and breath of music. The Comet immediately impressed me with its deep dark background. The second movement of Beethoven's Fifth Piano Concerto, performed by Wilhelm Kempff on DG, sounded superb. The Comet's low noise floor meant that long notes ripened with vibrato and emotional intensity. I also noted great spaciousness and clarity in the mid to low bass. Light taps on the tympani were clearly rendered and felt. Piano notes played with the left hand sounded tactile and firmly connected to the mass of the concert grand. Music flowed with an effortlessness and ease that floated me up to a higher level of musical enlightenment. I played record after record of classical music, and each time the Comet rewarded me with palpable musical presence and minimal surface noise.

I love Latin Jazz. Dizzy Gillespie recognized that clave is the ultimate grove when he composed such classics as "Manteca" and "A Night in Tunisia" with the legendary Chano Pozo. Poncho Sanchez' rendition of "Manteca" on the Concord Picante label is a lively example. The Comet displayed pitch and timing that perfectly rendered the complex interplay of clave sticks, cowbell, conga, timbale, and bass. My Linn's low end is one of its finer assets, but the Comet reaffirmed its superior bass response. Low notes carried more heft and authority. Trumpet and flute play the melody in this music. With less competent equipment, the upper ranges of these instruments can sound glaringly aggressive, but the Comet captured both the brilliance of the metal and the warmth of the air they employ to produce sound.

Rock music was also well served by the Comet's excellent pace and timing. A recent visit to the Pasadena Record Swap here in southern California yielded a treasure of classic rock by Eric Clapton, Genesis, and Rush. This music places the guitar and drums up front. Rhythm and impact drive it along. For example, the second side of Genesis' 1983 self-titled LP is dense with Phil Collins' polyrhythmic electronic and acoustic drumming. The Comet deftly recreated the energy and action of his drums and cymbals without compressing dynamics.

I experimented with the SOTA I-Clamp, and found that maximum effectiveness could only be achieved when the record was perfectly flat and reasonably thick. Floppy RCA Dynagroove LPs tend to flex at the label, where the clamping pressure is applied. Classic Records' new 180-gram reissues clamped more evenly across their surface, which resulted in subtle improvements in dynamic responsiveness and image resolution. Since many of my favorite titles are slightly cupped or warped, I chose not to use the clamp for most of my listening.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the SOTA Comet. This is a well-designed system, and its parts and materials work in harmony to produce considerable musical enjoyment for a modest investment. The Comet sounds solid and superbly musical. Even if I upgraded to a Rega arm and Grado cartridge on my LINN Axiss, I am certain I would not achieve the same dark background and effortless rhythmic flow that I heard with the Comet. If you're looking for a richly rewarding, high-value turntable that easy to set up and maintain, hitch a ride on the Comet. Victor Chavira