I need a Tonearm opinion... Please

Morch arm I guess?...

Thanks Pauly:

I was hoping to hear something like that from a Benz / Koetsu owner.
What is a Rosewood/Morch?
I heard of a Rosewood and Rosewood Signature.

Is it worth going for the signature? I think it's an extra $1K
That $1K is half the cost of a TO4 Turbo with ceramic bearings!! (My other addiction)

Steve

Steve I think you should try the Koetsu.

I currently run both a Koetsu Rosewood/Morch and Benz Ref II/Morch on my table, and the Koetsu is pure magic. So much so that my Benz Ref II is up for sale ...

Maybe I'm a little tough on my RB-900.
It's hard to say what part of the turntable system is the weak link.
I'm currently using a Basis 1400 and Benz LO4.
The TT is sitting on a "concrete block with 3 bolts as adjustable feet" on a thin carpet covering a concrete slab.
I have a 1/4" lexan acoustically decoupled dust cover.

I was seriously considering getting a Koetsu Rosewood but I may change turntables also.

I was hung up on the Syrinx because - in a past system I had a Linn, PU-2 and FR1 Mk3.
That was easily the best TT setup I ever had.
Back then I was using a ML-1, Bryston 2B (Significantly modified) and QUAD 57's.
I'm still using QUAD 57's, but now have a Levinson#23 and Audible Illusions M3A.

Something is preventing me from having the midrange detail I need for "my fix"

Steve

Steve,

SdCampbell is spot on IMO. You would have to move up the food chain conciderably to best your 900.

Even though materials may be the same, the improvements in casting alloys and use of resonance materials has improved greatly. Carbon Fiber was not avail readily to end users as it so widly used today, and certaily not an inexpensive material that we could have spent on tonearms back then.

I dont know what table you use, so its hard to make a proper recommendation as to something better. I think anything from the JMW 12.5 to Graham 2.2 or Schroder Model 2 or DPS arm's would do nicely. Dont sell the 900 short though..it is quite an arm in itself.

I remember the Syrinx PU-2 as being pretty "tweaky" and difficult to set up. As a fellow owner of the Rega RB-900, I can't see any point in replacing it with the PU-2. The RB-900 features a 1-piece casting and very closely "spec'd" bearings, and Rega has said in various articles that the tonearm's price is about half what it would be if the same casting process were developed today. In short, the RB-900 continues to be a significant "bargain" among high-end tonearms. If I were going to replace my RB-900, my "short list" would include the VPI JMW-10.5 or JMW-12.5, and the Graham 2.2.

For other thoughts about the Syrinx PU-2, click on the following two links:
1. http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/hfw/oldeworldehtml/syrinxarm.html
2. http://stereophile.com/tonearms/821/index5.html (note the comments at the bottom of the article about Syrinx and the quality of the bearings compared to the Regas).

My friend had it,and sold it to another pal.IMO-it was sloppily made.It never cued in an accurate fashion,and descended like a ROCK.With the cost of today's cartridges,if you have the money,get something else.