Anyone used an SME IV with VPI Aries 2?

Gfloyd53, I'm the guy Raquel mentioned. I also had a VPI TNT 3.5 with the JMW-10 tonearm. I ran it with a van den Hul Frog for several years - until May, that is, when I swapped out the JMW-10/Frog for the SME IV and Dynavector XV-1s. The SME IV arm works perfectly with the turntable, and the sound of the new tonearm/cartridge combination significantly surpasses that of the JMW-10/Frog.

If VPI can get you an arm board for the Aries 2 that is machined to accept the SME IV, I would not have any reservation about going in that direction.

Yes, the XV-1s is a current production model cartridge. It is Dynavector's top of the line cartridge.

Link to Dynavector Web Site

Once you launch the web page, click the picture of the cartridge on the top at the left side of the screen.

I just looked at my Music Direct catalog (titled "Catalog 2005"), and the XV-1s cartridge is listed in that catalog.

Gfloyd53, in addition to the Sumiko Celebration, you might also consider the Shelter line of cartridges. I have heard that those cartridges pair well with the SME tonearms. The Shelter 90X is the best cartridge in the line, followed by the 901, and then the 501. Retail prices are $2,700, $1,500, and $800, respectively.