Post by foveaux on Feb 21, 2021 10:07:58 GMT 12
Interesting historical summary of David Fletcher's influences on hifi/audio, by Mr Fremer: www.analogplanet.com/content/sumiko-and-sota-founder-david-fletcher-rip"...In 1980, Fletcher and Robert Becker founded SOTA. The company’s first endeavor was to fund designer Rod Herman’s effort to build a better Linn Sondek LP12, itself an Ariston “knock off” based on a classic Thorens suspended design, which evolved from Edgar Villchur’s original AR turntable and appropriately around and around it went!" 
"I see music as a lifetime affair." [Rory Gallagher]
"Free - I miss that band, but when I look back, we were very young" [Paul Rodgers]
863 posts
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Post by michaelw on Feb 21, 2021 10:50:03 GMT 12
Back in the early-mid 80s SOTA (and Linn) provided audiophiles with many hours of reading as the infamous SOTA vs. Linn wars played out in American hi-fi magazines. The letters pages in The Absolute Sound were particularly entertaining with plenty of input from Fletcher. He also designed one of the first super tonearms, the mighty Sumiko MDC-800 aka The Arm.
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Post by Owen Y on Feb 21, 2021 16:08:36 GMT 12
My pal had a SOTA Star with Dynavector tonearm & various interesting cartridges (including Monster Alpha Genesis, Highphonic...). Spent many sessions listening to that front end. The SOTA had v low Hz spring frequency, courtesy of sub-chassis that was 'hung' on springs. Also a receptacle in the sub-chassis, into which you would put lead shot to counter-balance the tonearm. Never had a MDC-800 The Arm, but had an LP12 fitted with a Sumiko Premier MMT arm.
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Post by cartridgeguyonline on Feb 21, 2021 19:16:39 GMT 12
Back in the early-mid 80s SOTA (and Linn) provided audiophiles with many hours of reading as the infamous SOTA vs. Linn wars played out in American hi-fi magazines. The letters pages in The Absolute Sound were particularly entertaining with plenty of input from Fletcher. He also designed one of the first super tonearms, the mighty Sumiko MDC-800 aka The Arm.
That record clamp is also worthy of note.
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Post by colinf on Feb 21, 2021 22:16:39 GMT 12
Another legend goes... I met him at the then Sota factory in San Francisco when we were there to order more Sota turntables. The Sota Cosmos in white Corian, with vacuum hold-down we bought then became mine in about 1995. It was great to chat about contra-wound springs and the fact the subchassis was hung from, instead of on top of, the springs., and where the centre of gravity should be on them. They were using Atma-Sphere OTL amps to drive the new Sota speaker I recall. RIP David.
AMR-iFi R&D
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Post by michaelw on Feb 22, 2021 9:21:45 GMT 12
Back in the early-mid 80s SOTA (and Linn) provided audiophiles with many hours of reading as the infamous SOTA vs. Linn wars played out in American hi-fi magazines. The letters pages in The Absolute Sound were particularly entertaining with plenty of input from Fletcher. He also designed one of the first super tonearms, the mighty Sumiko MDC-800 aka The Arm.
That record clamp is also worthy of note.
The SOTA Reflex Clamp, I never used one but it was said to be the equal of the famous Goldmund clamp.
I recall Owen has a Goldmund ?
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Pundit
Post by audionut on Feb 22, 2021 10:04:42 GMT 12
I liked SOTA and the clamp is great, I have one laying around here somewhere. Always hankered after THE ARM but never found one at the time. Another audio guru gone. RIP.
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