Luxman PD121A - PD441

Welcome to the forum, what a nice decision to need to make!

I helped my friend select and assemble a Luxman PD444 with a pair (long and short) of Micro Seiki 505 arms. He went for silver coated wiring versions.

I have great admiration for the technologies, features, and build quality of both the Luxman TT and the Micro Seiki arms.

Like me he has a small collection of Stereo and Mono cartridges pre-mounted on removable headshells. The arm’s adjustability make it easy to change quickly and accurately,

Are you sure you cannot find the extra width to fit the 444 instead of the 441?

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11900

Unlike my wide and deeper JVC Victor, It is slim and elegant looking,

and you can play with the dust cover up, or lift it fully off as my friend does and as I MUST do with my non-hinged, non-attached JVC Victor

Think long, I just changed from this

to this which gave me 3 removable headshells

Having both Stereo and Mono ready to go back and forth in seconds during a listening session is a real treat, and you can instantly compare two cartridges already in the groove, simply change the TT’s A/B switch (and any variation of phono or sut setting) (possibly also a volume adjustment needed to compare).

btw, the arm on the right is a JVC Victor 7082, I highly recommend it, and the common problem is easily fixed

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/12014

The arm in the middle/back is Acos Lustre GST-801, awesome choice! I got it with help here, it is a 9" arm, the 9" version of my right side JVC 7082 is UA-7045. My left side arm is nothing special, except it's short counterweight length due to use of heavier Titanium.

chridabs OP

Bottom plates/configurations (of the arms), VTA adjustable bases vary, (depends what TT it came off of). Mounting parts vary, not all accessory parts are still included. Pay attention, look at many listings until you know what is being sold. Look at what separate parts are listed for sale on hifishark, to learn.

New install in a plinth, you drill a 28mm hole for the arm post. If possible get a/the thick heavy 'stabilizer' bottom nut. If not, you can stack a few nuts to have more weight below. Not needed, but why not. The Acos Lustre GST-801 has a very thick heavy bottom stabilizer nut also.

This listing shows the dark colored OEM stabilizer.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/335832791607?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=335832791607&targetid=2295557531510&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9003511&poi=&campaignid=21388819155&mkgroupid=173029508548&rlsatarget=aud-1339632007594:pla-2295557531510&abcId=9447217&merchantid=426095894&gad_source=4&gad_campaignid=21388819155&gbraid=0AAAAAD_QDh_GmvUieIS0qgOn2FPCrrMvT&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhafEBhCcARIsAEGZEKLOp3dTzZE1vPNI6UQLUdxOxzeI2srVcJ3rDBtLl8PuSCui-bHdXy0aAt2IEALw_wcB

The lever that tightens to lock the VTA arm height can break, I got a big allen head metric screw for my friend's arm, textured rim, still able to tighten by hand.

Also, for my friend, I needed to get a large washer from a hardware store to provide a transition diameter from the arm post (+/- 26mm?) to the hole in the TT's plate we received.

The sliding/locking arm plates are two layers, the bottom layer is always the same, a big oval cutout, it is the part that locks in the tracks, The top layer varies, small star shape, medium, large hole, it simply screws onto the bottom layer. So, IF needed, a small hole in a top plate could be made bigger if perhaps you receive a plate with too small diameter hole.

However, think long, you might want a different arm in the future. Of course with the 441, you only need 1 lower layer and simply change the top layer as needed, now or the future. 

some arms have integrated arm rests, some need a separate stand alone arm rest, this is the optional arm rest part, it fastens to a corner of the arm mounting plate.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/226352373714?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=9c835640-6d58-11f0-8274-333763633361

dgarretson, everyone

lots of words, but easy once you understand the image must be on the web somewhere, and you post the image's web address (url), not the image itself. 

1. find an image already online, right click, 'copy image address'.

2. post window, top edit bar, click on 6th icon from left, 'image'

3. paste the url you copied into the window that pops up

4. OK

DISTORTED IMAGE?

sometimes you need to enter 600 in the width to keep a larger image from getting distorted. (height self-adjusts to the entered width)

upload your photos.

Once I figured out how to use Audiogon's Virtual Systems,

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/users/elliottbnewcombjr?_gl=1*15fyfjw*_ga*MTQ0MzA1MzQ4Mi4xNzUyNzEzMTU1*_ga_SR0PMVVEN1*czE3NTM5NjMyOTMkbzUkZzEkdDE3NTM5NjQyMjckajYkbDEkaDE2NzgwMzI2NzA.

To post any image on my computer, I made a separate Virtual System called 'Misc Info' on this site, so I can upload any image to Audiogon's web site, then 'copy image address

chridabs OP

your best value may be to wait until you find a 441 with an acceptable arm included, get it, and later change to a different arm.

I often see SME 3009 arms on them, I used one for many years on my Thorens TD124, loved it. Easy and precise balance, tracking weight, and anti-skate. Arm height is by clamping screw, not easy for changing VTA like the Acos Lustre GST-801 or Micro-Seiki MA505.

Similar to the JVC Victor, the SME 3009/12 have a rubber sleeve that isolates the rear from the front tube sections. It can deteriorate, the rear counterweight tube slips over it. I renewed mine many years ago. Steve at VAS likes them, he bought mine.

SME’s have a unique bottom connector, a shield that slides onto it, and a dedicated fitting on the phono cable, make sure the cable is included. Conversions to RCA Jacks can be done.

This listing shows it well

https://www.ebay.com/itm/257043523542?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=3cf7a98c-6e12-11f0-b771-346330323932

I got new part from SME, found this just now

https://www.ebay.com/itm/127262758116?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&google_free_listing_action=view_item&srsltid=AfmBOop4JplseoWQ7A5i1UWMfnVpkrgOJO9wQK6MeRVBZeurV6R6o_tc_rw

congrats, best of luck with it.

I never saw/heard the SAEC arm, it looks good, they made an accessory Stabilizer weight, seen here

https://audio-database.com/SAEC/etc/we-308sx.html

If 308sx needs a 30mm hole, then, for the future, that plate's large hole is big enough for the Micro-Seiki 505, the Acos-Lustre CST-801 or JVC Victor 7045/7082, the one's I know about.

One trick, is to make a pencil mark using the plate with no arm mounted, so you can pre-measure with your ruler flat, 235mm center of spindle to the center of the hole in the plate, (+5mm overhang = 308sx's 240mm effective length).

Make a pencil mark you can see/align with after the arm is mounted in the plate (when you can no longer lay your ruler flat).

ceramic headshell, hmm, I never considered one, certainly it is a unique rigid material.

I like headshells that allow Azimuth Adjustment, like the one’s that came with my AT160ml cartridges. The fitting that receives the cartridge on the end of the curved arm on the Micro Seiki 505 is adjustable, that is a wonderful feature.

I bought ’Pat’s’ azimuth adjustable headshell on eBay, but it is a soft flexible piece of crap

do you mean this?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/187412311592?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&google_free_listing_action=view_item

how much azimuth adjustment is possible with this headshell?

this ’one piece’ popped up in a quickie search 

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/korf-hs-a02-ceramic-headshell/

https://korfaudio.com/hs-a02b

https://korfaudio.com/hs-a03   199. euros

pay attention to the weight, the article compared it to Titanium, but titanium is heavy, so a better comparison might be carbon

korf discusses the saec ceramic cartridge.

https://korfaudio.com/blog66

carbon, only 8g, azimuth adjustment

https://www.ebay.com/itm/267273538668?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=70e69862-6e3e-11f0-a26c-643236336433

aluminum/magnesium, azimuth adjustment (1 or 2 pin versions available)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/297029031719?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=f713c1d0-6e3e-11f0-9de0-626131373061

note: clarify with seller, text mentions carbon, perhaps by error

aluminum, litz wire, azimuth adjustment

https://www.ebay.com/itm/196348219458?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=a56abc52-6e3f-11f0-81be-626131373061

wood, soundsmith, azimuth adjust

https://www.ebay.com/itm/132506514869?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=47fe6ea0-6e40-11f0-99f2-346366653263

Last time I had lunch with Steve and Ray Leung of VAS, they said their favorite cartridges had wood bodies. I didn't think to ask what headshell, Steve uses a VPI TT and VPI arm, with many wands that fit their unipivot, with mini-din connectors.

I like the idea of ceramic, would choose the new one piece one from korf even though the saec one is historically cool. 

I would choose the aluminum/magnesium with azimuth adjustment over the 3D printed 'flexible flyer' type (it can't be rigid) or the carbon one which has zero side wall to resist flexing.