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New arm recommendations?

Well, I went and did it. Spent all my bucks on a Clearaudio Revolution, and a Sigma Wood. Now I'm looking for a temporary fix for an arm until I can scrape up the money for a Tangent, or possibly a TQ-I. Would it be terribly out of line to use an RB300 for a few months if it were rewired with some decent cable? (eg. Cardas or Discovery mod) I was also thinking if I had to go a little better then possibly a Graham Robin, or Origin Live, keeping in mind, the more I spend now, the longer I will have to wait to get the arm I want. It seems a crime to have the table & cartridge sitting there silent. The wife also thinks I am a moron for having spent all that money & there is still no sound coming from the speakers. :-)
The rest of the system is complete tube (Sonic Frontiers), and the speakers are a dipole D'appolito design that work well with the tube gear. (ie. smooth mid-upper ranges) I am generally not too worried about the source being too bright. (Even digital sounds decent)
Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. Hopefully they don't mirror my wifes thoughts.

Paul
ppridday
5 responses Add your response
loontoon
301 posts
 
Yo dude, your wife is right, but --- look for an older sumiko or SME arm in the less than 100$ range should get you by for a while.

Say there are Dr.'s for audionervosa.

Good luck,
pbb
1,140 posts
 
Nothing wrong with the RB-300. Looks a bit rough, but does the job. You can get an RB-600 for $400. Some would probably recommend a modded Rega RB-250.

If you use your imagination, any decent arm you install will satisfy you. Then you can gain the peace of mind you crave by buying something with current critical acclaim.

Then you may have to upgrade so that the arm is up-to-date with the then current sweetheart. Bottom line: it's mostly a social game and it all takes place in your head.
twl
3,251 posts
 
Many of the turntable makers use a private-labeled version of the Rega arms for their entry level turntables. The Rega is a nice arm, and is very competent in performance.

If you are intent on buying a high-dollar linear tracking arm, then just get something to listen to while you are saving up the money. Any Rega arm would do nicely in that role. It will sell easily when you are done with it.
ppridday OP
28 posts
 
The reason that I am interested in a linear tracking arm is mostly due to the fact that I had one on my Delphi, and I was quite pleased with it. I originally had an RB300 on it, and upgraded to an ET2. There was a noticeable difference to say the least. I guess that I have fallen into a linear tracking mindset. I will however explore all the options before making a purchase in the higher price range for an arm. It seems to me that it would be better to gain knowledge through forums like this, than from a magazine review, or advertisement.

Thanks all,

Paul
twl
3,251 posts
 
Bear in mind that there are huge differences between an ET2 and a TQ-1 or Air Tangent. Not all linear trackers are the same. Some have a lack of bass response due to insufficient mass in the horizontal plane. The ET2 and Walker arms do not suffer from this problem, but many others do. Listen before you buy. And use the same cartridge for auditioning as you will use at home. Clearaudio cartridges have a compliance that is not too demanding in this regard, so perhaps it won't make any difference in your situation.
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