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!

The Sumiko needs a cartridge. Any recommendations? It should be relatively affordable (I'm thinking $300 or less) and look good with wood.