SME 309 or SME 3009r?

I know all too well. I also owned one for four years. It‘s beautifully constructed and offers very high perceived value for money. It tracks exceedingly well and allows easy adjustment. Tonally it is fine. But where it falls in a screaming heap is in PRAT.

It is absolutely hopeless with music that is rhythmically based and is dynamically constrained. Once you listened to something like an Ittok you simply couldn‘t go back. For me it renders music in a boring, lifeless fashion that I could never go back to, and represents the antithesis of what I look for in music. In the 80’s it was not held in very high esteem. Just because a forum today says something is good doesn‘t mean I have to take their opinion seriously. Sometimes old things become fashionable…

I was recently consulted privately by someone who had a choice between a Technics B500 with two arm wands, one each for high and low compliance cartridges and with good bearings, and a 3009.  I advised for the former of those two choices, but the person who asked opted for the 3009, based on a recommendation from his "dealer".  To me, this seemed to be bad advice and suggested that the dealer was probably the seller of the 3009.  Then I thought maybe there is something great about a 3009 that escapes me; I never owned one.  Was I wrong?

Hey all - let's be clear. The 3009 is not the 3009r. I don't recall exactly, but the r stands for revised, renewed or replacement. It's not your pedestrian 3009. Look online and you'll see the 3009r being sold for upwards of $2,000 while the 3009 is less than half that price. They're two different animals. Still, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to rewire the 309, not the 3009r. And then I'll sell off the 3009r.  Someone else can rewire it to see if it sings, or not.

I own a 309. It is an outstanding arm. Better than many of the arms that I have owned before I changed to that arm!

sorry @lewm I have not heard the Technics and can not comment. I do not make pronouncements based on spec sheets.