SME V tonearm versus Rega tonearms on Michell Orbe

I use an OL RB250 on a Gyro II SE with a Benz Ruby 2 cartridge and the sound is the best I have heard (compared to any other TT system I have used). There is an unmistakable synergy going on with this combo that is captivating. It easily outperforms my former VPI Aries with JMW 10 arm, flywheel, PLC, and ClearAudio Gamma cartridge. I would expect properly set up Regas to work great on the Orbe as well, but I can't say that it would beat an SME V. It is doubtful, but I haven't made the comparison and you never really know how well a certain combination will perform until you try it and hear it in your own familiar system. My Michell/Rega/Benz sounds scary-good -- of that I am confident. Good Luck! :)

I think the limiting factor on the OL Rega arms has more to do with the relatively inconvenient, time consuming methods of setting the VTA, rather than the actual performance difference between it and the high-priced arms. If you get an OL RB 250 dialed in correctly to the cartridge I think it comes surprisingly close to the performance of high-priced arms (perhaps too close for the comfort of some expensive-arm owners). Hey, if I plunked down 2G's or more for a great arm, I wouldn't want to believe that a $500 arm could sound nearly as good either... :) But if and when I do move to a more expensive arm, it will be mainly because I want a faster way to set VTA.