Need Ur Help Pls. Best Arm+Cart for Sota Nova V ?


May I have your opinion on best cart + arm for new Sota Nova V , vacuum version. I am now using all solid state equipment.
sit

Showing 2 responses by dougdeacon

Hi Sit,

You're going to have to give us more information to get a useful response.Like all things audio, there is no "best" tonearm and there is no "best" cartridge - for a Sota or any other table.

First, what phono stage are you using? What are its gain and impedance options? This will determine basic cartridge compatibility. There's no point buying a LOMC if you don't have enough gain or your input impedance is wrong.

Second, what kind of sound are you after and what kind of music do you play? Different cartridges have different sonic "flavors". Some are warm, some are neutral, some are cool for example.

Knowing these things should help narrow down the wide array of cartridges to those of a certain type. That will make it easier to suggest a tonearm. As a rule, tonearm-cartridge synergy has a bigger influence on the sound of a rig than tonearm-table synergy.

Finally, what is your budget? The most costly tonearms and cartridges sell for much higher prices than your table. It wouldn't make sense to spend that much on those components, but some idea of your limits would be useful.

Regards,
Doug

P.S. Based on the experiences of two members, it seems that a TriPlanar tonearm (any version) is a poor choice for a Sota Nova. They both had major fit/compatibility issues, despite statements from Sota that this was a good combination. Those real-world experiences suggest leaving that particular arm off your list, unfortunately.
Great info! Your phono stage has the gain and impedance (loading) flexibility to handle just about any cartridge. No significant restrictions there.

It's great to see a fan of new music who prefers honest, uncolored components. Most classical and jazz listeners understand this, but some who listen to a lot of amplified music do not.

CARTRIDGES
- choose a LOMC (you've got the phono stage, might as well make use of it)
- forget Grado (very warm, as you presumably know)
- forget Koetsu (warm)
- maybe forget Benz (warmish, mids are very present but bass is a bit round/soft)
- choose a cartridge with a fine-line or micro-ridge stylus (these trace HF's better than elliptical and especially conical styli, cleaner sibilants, tighter consonants, cymbals sound like cymbals instead of white noise)
- choose a mid-compliance cartridge (12-18cu, this will open the door to a wider array of tonearms
- buy new (unless you're a risk-taker)
- brands to consider:

Dynavector (haven't heard, reputation for fullish mids)

Lyra (clear and clean, but a bit cool/lean at this price level)

ZYX (very clear, clean, neutral, natural, wonderful upper mid-HF's, bass is clean and tight though maybe a touch lightweight at this price level)

I'm sure there are others...

TONEARMS
- choose an arm of medium effective mass (11-15g, this will mate well with a broad array of mid-compliance carts
- buy used (unless you want to raise your budget)
- brands to consider:

Rega (higher models)
SME (double check mount for compatibility with SOTA)
Origin Live
Morch (if you see a used DP-6, buy it)
Lots of others...

Sample solution:
RB900 listed now in classifieds $575
ZYX R100 Yatra from SoraSound $1140

Many others are possible.

Good luck!