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Post by The Brookmeister on Jun 27, 2014 19:43:47 GMT
Just found this in my photobucket library, my baby before she went to a better home!
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Post by MartinT on Jun 27, 2014 19:47:49 GMT
Ah, the old SME 3009 (looks like a fixed headshell improved). Not the greatest arm in the world, but a classic and my first true hi-fi purchase.
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Marco
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Post by Marco on Jun 27, 2014 20:55:50 GMT
Ah, the old SME 3009 (looks like a fixed headshell improved). Not the greatest arm in the world.... I know where you're coming from, Martin. However, you'd be surprised how good they can sound when used in the right context. I prefer the detachable headshell versions, one of which (belonging to Joe 'Black Adder'), I used with my SPU Royal GM, fitted to his Thorens TD-124, and the sound was superb - right up there with what I get at home from the same cartridge on my T/T! Marco.
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Post by MartinT on Jun 27, 2014 20:58:14 GMT
That's... surprising, Marco.
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Marco
Rank: Trio
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Post by Marco on Jun 27, 2014 21:11:14 GMT
Indeed - I was similarly (pleasantly) surprised!
Marco.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2014 10:38:08 GMT
Tim Aesthetically i would go 10'' or 12'' because personally i think a 9'' arm looks a little too close to the '401'. What arm are you thinking of?
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Post by kember on Jul 9, 2014 12:22:14 GMT
A garrard 401 needs a good arm for sure, whether removable headshell or not. Not a Rega IMO though! Another option to consider is the Trans-Fi linear tracker. On my 401 I currently have have a 9" (Moerch UP-4) and a just bought 12" (modified Hadcock GH220). I also have had a Trans-Fi air bearing arm on the 401 and it is by a long way the best arm I've had with it. It is currently residing on my ClearAudio Reference. An added bonus is that you can buy extra wands if you want ease of cart swapping. The air pump is a bit of a faff to set up and locate but once set up the arm does not need much more than the occasional clean. Another thought is the Kuzma Stogi S 12 vta 12" tonearm,, with 9" mounting for just over a grand from Emporium. I have a 12" Kuzma S on my Stabi and it is a seriously good arm and a grand for a newish 12 incher unipivot is not bad. P
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Post by danielquinn on Jul 9, 2014 12:41:08 GMT
Removable headshells are a sonic compromise . The join is a resonant week point . If your lucky when pinky stops fighting with dr Bunsen he be along to give AK take on it ,im sure Ive read it somewhere else .
Also , they introduce additional connectors . I personally obtained worthwhile sonic benefits from re-wiring my roksan Tabriz zi , with one piece of cardas copper from cartridge to phono stage . It was however a pain to do .
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Post by Eduardo Wobblechops on Jul 9, 2014 13:08:21 GMT
You could try a Trans Fi Terminator. I've heard more than one 401 with one of these fitted. Sounds fabulous, and the way I'll be going in the future methinks. Just buy spare armboards if you want to swap carts.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 9, 2014 13:24:07 GMT
Indeed - I was similarly (pleasantly) surprised! Marco. I use a '3009, S2 Imp' {Fixed Shell} sounds great, even partnered with my Denon 'DL110' by all rights is techincally a disasterous match..
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Post by pinkie on Jul 9, 2014 19:04:51 GMT
Removable headshells are a sonic compromise . The join is a resonant week point . If your lucky when pinky stops fighting with dr Bunsen he be along to give AK take on it ,im sure Ive read it somewhere else . Also , they introduce additional connectors . I personally obtained worthwhile sonic benefits from re-wiring my roksan Tabriz zi , with one piece of cardas copper from cartridge to phono stage . It was however a pain to do . I believe you are correct. Not so much a resonance as a structural weakness - a lack of rigidity. Rigidity seems to be the big think with AK at the minute - particularly in arms. What other reason for fixed headshells dominating "non-japanese" arms? They are not that much harder to make - and certainly the likes of SME can manage it well enough, but choose not to on the V. And usually where manufacturers offer an arm in fixed or detachable headshell versions the fixed is preferred. There's also an effective mass issue when you get to longer arms.
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Post by ChrisB on Jul 9, 2014 19:11:46 GMT
There are many things in hi-fi where compromises are made. One of them might be not being able to easily switch between your 2 (or 3 or more) favourite cartridges. Another might be a little rigidity. I would say that both are equally valid. Signed Chris (the owner of 3 fixed headshell tonearms)
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Barry
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Post by Barry on Jul 9, 2014 19:20:51 GMT
What happened to the Ultracraft arm Chris?
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Post by ChrisB on Jul 9, 2014 19:23:42 GMT
I still have it Barry.
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Post by MartinT on Jul 9, 2014 20:19:55 GMT
I think the resonances due to a detachable headshell are possibly overplayed. Just one example: I used to have a Jelco 250ST (fixed), and the 750D (detachable) leaves it in the dust. Different design considerations, but that tight joint can hardly play a major role. Similarly, the Dynavector (detachable) arm that I now run is hugely better sounding than the SME IV (fixed) that I used to own. Again, I don't think the headshell joint is a major contributor to the sound.
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Post by Tim on Jul 9, 2014 20:32:12 GMT
I think a 9'' arm looks a little too close to the '401'. What arm are you thinking of? I agree, I don't like the 'fit' of the 9" 3009. I suspect you probably won't agree, but at the moment a black Jelco 750L is the favourite - I plan on the 401 being black as you correctly identified on the Audio Grail thread, for their Special Edition 'Sable' 401
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Post by itcosthowmuch on Jul 14, 2014 13:09:17 GMT
I would try to get to hear a Transfi arm on a 401, very good match and compact. You have to live with the pump, but that's air bearing arms for you.
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Post by ChrisB on Jul 14, 2014 18:18:17 GMT
The arm sounds great but it looks a little........well, let's say it has a visual style all of it's own, and I rather fear that wouldn't do for Tim. Oh no, not one little bit!
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Marco
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Post by Marco on Jul 14, 2014 18:53:28 GMT
I think the resonances due to a detachable headshell are possibly overplayed. Just one example: I used to have a Jelco 250ST (fixed), and the 750D (detachable) leaves it in the dust. Different design considerations, but that tight joint can hardly play a major role. Similarly, the Dynavector (detachable) arm that I now run is hugely better sounding than the SME IV (fixed) that I used to own. Again, I don't think the headshell joint is a major contributor to the sound. +1. Also, in my experience, there are rather more important considerations in tonearm design, in terms of optimising performance, than fixed or detached headshells, namely the quality of the bearings, arm tube resonance, and most importantly of all, how well the tonearm in question matches the various requirements of the partnering cartridge (effective mass and inherent sonic signature). A poorly matched combination, in that respect, will always sound much worse than any detrimental effect caused by a detachable headshell! I think that the Japs know a thing or two about quality engineering (as well as what constitutes as good sound). Therefore, if detachable headshells were such a sonic no-no I doubt that so many of their arms would feature them, least of all classic designs, such as those from Micro Seiki and Fidelity Research (amongst many others), achieving such worldwide recognition and desirability Marco.
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Post by walpurgis on Jul 14, 2014 18:53:58 GMT
I'd like a 12" arm for my MCs, but as I sometimes use high compliance non-MC cartridges too, a 12 incher is ruled out and I don't have room for two TTs in use.
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