Any suggestions for improvements?

yup, money is definitely a consideration. my oracle is updated to all mk-v specs, except for the motor/power-supply, which is the o-l unit. as set-up, w/the o-l arm, i've got $1800 into it - which includes the cost of the 'table. not exactly cheap, but i tink ewe could spend a lot more to get what may end up to be only minor improvements. the oracle, the o-l power supply, & their modded arms - especially the rb250, hold their own w/the best out there, at relatively reasonable prices. for someone who already owns an oracle, updating to mk-v specs, getting the o-l arm & motor-p/s set-up, can get a taste of the best, on the cheap. and, an et2 arm can get ya a few bucks back, on the used market.

regards, doug s.

Depends on what you have to spend. I would be tempted to start over. Get a VPI and use the current arm there. Less expensive would be to upgrade the Oracle and get the turbo power supply. Then replace the arm with a Graham or SME, both are better matches for the Oracle.

that arm isn't the best match-up for the oracle, due to its spring arrangement, & the way the et will cause weight-shift to the oracle as the arm moves. i assume ewe have an older oracle - i can't imagine this arm wood get mounted today on a gnu oracle mkv. the arm wood perform much better w/the awailable upgrades to the oracle, specifically the counterweight upgrade, but i'd also recommend the bearing & spring upgrades as well.

re: bdifferent tonearms, i'm *wery* pleased w/the origin-live modded rega rb250. a great arm at any price, but a *steal* cuz it's so relatively cheap. origin-live sez it's even better than their modded rb900...

i'd also check out o-l's motor/power-supply mod. a worthwhile upgrade to my oracle, again a steal at the price...

doug s.