Infinity engineering intended the arm to have as little influence on the cartridge as possible. Marketing offered the thought "as if suspended in air". I had to have one. Infinity literature shows it wearing a Denon 103 but a cartridge with compliance too low may throw the arm around and damage your lp's. I am probably wrong, but think perhaps the arm was made in the U.S., maybe Detroit?
Mine tracks very nicely, is gratifyingly musical with a high compl. cartridge but I think can become a little too warm with the wrong pickup, it really likes bass. Absurdly low arm mass and vertical bearing friction. Every one I have seen has lateral movement in the knife bearings. AT's sound like a good choice. The aluminum arm on mine (went to CF with a damping trough in 1979) tends to microphone physical disturbances to the turntable but remains resistant to feedback. Although I recently replaced it with a low-mass Technics arm, I am keeping the B.W., it would be a choice selection for many vintage turntable builds, Kenwood, AR, etc., I am glad to have it. Please don't take the dates or place of manufacture as fact.
Plenty of SME stuff on that auction site.
Mine tracks very nicely, is gratifyingly musical with a high compl. cartridge but I think can become a little too warm with the wrong pickup, it really likes bass. Absurdly low arm mass and vertical bearing friction. Every one I have seen has lateral movement in the knife bearings. AT's sound like a good choice. The aluminum arm on mine (went to CF with a damping trough in 1979) tends to microphone physical disturbances to the turntable but remains resistant to feedback. Although I recently replaced it with a low-mass Technics arm, I am keeping the B.W., it would be a choice selection for many vintage turntable builds, Kenwood, AR, etc., I am glad to have it. Please don't take the dates or place of manufacture as fact.
Plenty of SME stuff on that auction site.