Lots of great tonearms to buy, the 4pt is certainly one of them. You did not specify which Soundsmith cart. This will limit how specific recomends can be as the arm-cart relationship is far more important that the table-arm relation is.
Tonearm hardware shuffle - recomendations sought!
I'm looking for suggestions on a tonearm given this situation:
I just bought a Nottingham Analogue Ace Spacedeck as a secondary table to my ClearAudio Ovation. I have some decisions to make about where to go with some hardware shuffling of tonearms and carts between the tables.
1st Table: ClearAudio Ovation + AudioMods 6 arm + MP-500 cartridge
2nd Table: NAS Ace Spacedeck
Here comes the wrinkle(s), now the fun begins!
I have an "MC" (ie low output) Soundsmith cartridge showing up in a few weeks. That'll go on the Ovation.
The table came with a space arm. It's still NIB so I could sell that puppy (this was my first thought) - or I could mount it + the MP-500 onto the NAS. Zero more $$ outlay and it will get me down the road for a while.
I've also read the AM6 fits well onto the Ace Spacedeck and then I could hunt for a better arm for the Ovation. (And sell the Space Arm.) I got a quote on the the VERY WELL reviewed Kuzma 4 point (11") and it's pricey! For the price of the 4pt11, I could get, say, an Origin Live Conqueror + another Soundsmith cartidge (a "MM" high output cart) + a degritter.
Both tables will hook into the Modwright PH9.0X. One on the MM input, the other on the MC input.
So there are lotsa of ways to go here. Anyone here have a good recommendation?
thanks!
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Far be it for me to talk you out of the Kuzma. I looked for a used one at a tempting price for 6-8 months. They come up very seldom and due to their popularity now, they hold their value. I had the OL Illustrious 3 on my Teres as a temporary arm for 12 yrs. Reason was, it sounded good every time I played it. The Illustrious is just below the Conqueror. OL doesn't have all the easy adjustments like VTA on the fly. But they sound better than their price point would indicate. |
@solypsa thanks for pointing that out. I forgot some vital info Cartridge: https://www.sound-smith.com/cartridges/fixed-coil/paua-mk-ii
@artemus_5 yes I think I can get great sound at a lower price point of the kuzma. I'm not dead set on it due to its price. |
Have a look at - Kuzma 4Point9 - pivot to spindle 212mm Also if you want the fantastic VTA tower don't forget the Kuzma Stogi S12 VTA or Stogi Reference 313 are still great arms at lesser cost than the 4Point11. Both mount at 212mm I have had the Audiomods - its a great arm that punches above its price point, but I think the Kuzma arms will be a great investment and a step up.
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Yes, with poorly engineered arms this is true. This right here is why I would go with the Conqueror. Mark Baker designs his Origin Live arms properly, so you simply never do have to waste one minute worrying about compliance. I couldn’t begin to tell you compliance for anything I have put on my Origin Live arms. It simply is not a factor. The Conqueror also uses integral hard wired phono leads. Huge advantage in both cost and performance over designs that require you buy a phono interconnect. |