Used TechDAS Air Force III vs New Feickert Firebird with Kuzma Safir 9 vs SME 20 MK 2

Dear @chauncey : Yes, your SME tonearm will be a good " husband " for that lady. That tonearm is an excellent design for almost any cartridge, I the V and listened that one in the TechDas TT.

In the other side, cu means compliance units.

Btw, this is what the designer of the Safir posted in his site:

" All four points of the bearing have minimal friction and zero-play in all planes of movement, thus ensuring that the cartridge platform and the cartridge itself follow the grooves of an LP with extremely low friction and minimal vibrations. "

The tonearm is a 4 point unipivot design and even with out any measure where the designer could confirms that zero-play/low friction we know that unipivots normally has low baring friction but unipivots always has a " chatter "/rattle self movement due to the enormous/tremendous forces developed bay the cartridge stylus during play trying to folows those "Himalaya mountain chain " that are the LP groove modulations. There is no true/measured evidence at microscopic scenario where we can find out that the 4point tonearm has not that chatering under playing condition and through high velocity LP recorded grooves.

I know that almost all 4point tonearm designs owners and reviewers " like " what they heard but it’s not enough for me that " like ". Well this is me and others differs from me and it’s ok.

R.

Dear @chauncey  : The cartridge compliance along the cartridge weigth numbers makes " differences " with the tonearm you will " marry " it.

High compliance cartridges normally ( everything the same. ) are has better cartridge tracking abilities that means can pick-up " more " music information that came in the LP groove modulations and that's per sé an advantage over a low compliance cartridges and other advantage of the HC is that tracks better at the inner grooves of the LP than a LC.

Low compliance could be in the range of 4cu to 9cu, medium compliance from 10cu to around 15-16cu and high compliance over this last compliance range.

 The ideal frequency resonance range between a cartridge and tonearm combination should be between: 8hz to 12hz for that cartridge could shows at its best.

If you buy the Safir for the Hayabusa probably you were out of that range what's not a good idea. For the Safir with a cartridge weigthing 9grs. you need that the cartridge has between 5cu to 7cu.

I never has the opportunity to listen the Safir and I never buy a tonearm with that kind of very high effective mass because that all mass will be what the cartridge cantilever/suspension will looks during play due that's a dynamic mass.

R.

Dear @mijostyn ​@chauncey  : " It is otherwise well designed. If you are going to spend the rest of your like with a Koetsu, fine. "

Not with the Rosewood Signature Platinum ( that I still own ) due that it's not really low compliance.

What is really " weird " is that MF review where all the cartridges he used with the Safir have between medium to high compliance as the Atlas Lambda SL where the frequency resonance in between the Safir and all those cartridge statttttes at 4hz-5hz. From where comes that clean or exemplary low bass?

Now those tonearm 60grs plus de cartridge weigth is what the cantilever/suspension cartridge is looking due that exist not only the effective mass at rest position but exist too a dynamyc mass during play along the " tremendous " forces developed by the stylus tip movements that goes to the Safir bearing ( four unipivots as MF posted. ): no " chatter " at all at microscopic levels? who knows.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.