SAM Turntables

I would have considered buying one,

I like the look of it. But I'd want to at least see some sort of independent technical review before taking a blind punt. At least make sure it goes round consistently at the right speed. I've seen five grand belt drives that don't.

Thanks for your replies, especially the review, I googled and didn't see that.

Rudi, your Michell ain't bad at all if properly set up - and that suspension's a pig to get anywhere near right, this from personal experience. With a Lyra cartridge (I forget which one), the sound of your deck and top SME should be sweet, very open and with vanishingly low surface noise... Such a shame it appears to sit there unused and unloved as a very expensive ornament! The more I've associated with Michell decks, the more I admire the engineering and good value for money - they're made in my home county too.

Just sayin'

So there's a lot of problems with the motor and the tone arm isn't up to much. I'd avoid it. 

I’d expected something a lot more polished. Far too “hair shirt” for me right now, but I hope he gets enough experience to get these decks up to professionally viable standards.

It let me read every page except the last. Look at all the DIY he had to do on the motor to get it quiet!

you're talking yaself into Ant
just click and buy it..you are gonna do that i'm sure..click away then let us all know how good it is

This is the reply I got after asking "how's the turntable still doing"

Yes, a wonderful sounding unit. I run a Fidelity Research FR-14 arm and FR-64S arm on mine, both of which to my ears are world's better than the stock arm. Different sonics.

The stock arm to me sounds more powerful, almost digital in its presentation. The FR arms in comparison are softer and more nuanced sounding. Better to my ears anyway.

A big part of the speed issue were the speed trim pots on the original motor box. I spoke to Ivan and posted my original to Croatia and they modified it to the current version which has no issues. There was still a little speed drift due to my mains power which I solved with a Liebert Online UPS (generates it's own AC current after passing through the battery).

I've added various accessories which have all made improvements to a greater or lesser extent. A 12v Linear Power Supply, Aurealis Silver Litz tonearm IC's, 6mm aluminum mat with SDS IsoPlatMat stacked on top, Stainless SDS IsoPuck and finally an Ikea bamboo chopping board under the table rather than the provided faux marble stand. Either way, the sonics are as far as I care to go with vinyl

In my reply I said the stock arm would most probably be the stock one.


Thanks for that Matty. With your description of the sound my preference maybe for the stock arm, although I have never heard a Fidelity Research tonearm. I like the presentation of my Pink Triangle PTtoo, just not the faffing with the suspension, not only that it's getting old, just like me. I did not want to over spend, since vinyl is now my 2nd source so was looking for an all in one solution. Just for your interest others under consideration are the Rega P8 and MoFi Ultradeck.

Still thinking it over.  

The main point about the P8 is that it's dead simple to use, has the benefit of wonderful post-sales care and (I don't care) one of the finest engineered tonearms in the business, albeit basic in finish and largely fixed height.

As long as the bearing and motor are up to it and the drive belt is easy to source in future years, then the main option here certainly gives the eyes a feast

which model pink tirangle you have dude.
in my years of record player messing the decks themselves only vary slightly.. keep what you have dude..silver arm wire is the best upgrade for a turntable imho..
if it was me i'de stick with the PT.

Have you 'handled' a MoFi Ultradeck? My subjective assessment is that it's like stepping back in time with an original 1970's Naim-style push-button power switch, an exposed orange belt to relieve the charcoal visual boredom, a delrin platter like a Gyrodeck has today, a tacky feeling lid (to me anyway) which flexes a bit if handled one handedly and a rather crude arm without offset vertical bearings that may just measure better than it looks! I know it comes with cartridge but better than a current Project 2Xperience (whatever) at a grand, or £1250 if you ditch the Ortofon MM and replace with a perfectly good AT-F7?


The whole feel of the Mofi is a bit 'rubbery' to me and I can't explain it further. You cannot listen with your eyes here and will probably have to visit a dealer stocking this and the Rega to rule one of them out (Lord I'm so lucky sometimes, living where I do )

PLEASE just look at what you get for your dosh! the Rega 8 doesn't look very 'eye candy' does it (I'm told it's my age making this statement) although I do firmly believe in the top quality internal engineering as well as the view of minimal mass in the structure itself but with a reasonably massive platter, otherwise you need to go the other way to a very heavy and inert structure in my experience as in the NAS decks, which my local dealer says aren't now as good as a Rega P8 (I remain to be convinced ).

The SAM deck marketed in the UK via a dealer network would be double the price at least I think, as a distributor would want their cut as well as the dealer stocking, demming and setting the thing up (often hidden costs).

I'm trying to help.