I met up with Eden after work last Wednesday. We stormed through the midtown crowds and boarded the Uptown 1 train to Morningside Heights in beautiful Harlem. The train ride took no time at all. The last bit of our short trip took us way above ground, alongside tall office buildings, schools, and homes. It's a very special view.

The thing is heavy as all hell. It must be filled with lead shot or sand or the lives of many, many men.

Unlike that of the less-expensive Rega turntables, the Sota Sapphire's substantial dust cover works on heavy-duty hinges and holds itself in place. I don't know what this is good for, but it's cool. The Rega dust cover, on the other hand, is hinge-less and does not stay open half-way.

Eden and I were impressed by the strength of the dust cover's hinges. Michael Fremer's <i>20th Century Vinyl</i> waits patiently, another gift from Eden's mom. Moms always know what their children need.

There is a small crack in one corner of the dust cover, but that's okay. Gives it character.

Eden was delighted with the Sapphire's simple controls: Push buttons for power and speed selection, and knobs for speed control.

The Sapphire's simple controls proved inspirational. Eden got artsy on this one.

Whenever I mentioned "Project Sapphire" to anyone, they always wanted to know what tonearm the 'table used. At the time, I didn't know. I can now tell you that Eden's Sapphire is equipped with a Sumiko Premier MMT.

Actually, it's the "Improved Version." The original manual told us so.

I was totally into Sumiko's old-school logo. Bring it back, Sumiko!