What cartridge?? Lyra, Dyno etc...

If you liked the Helikon (as far as it goes, and it is a great cartridge), then the next logical step up IMO would be either a Titan, Transfiguration W (or lower output V), or maaaybee a vdH Condor.

From a value standpoint, the Tranny (which I own) beats all the others because they're available at a 50% discount! The Tranny also got a slight edge compared with the Titan in a Stereophile review FWIW. I can put you in touch with someone who went from a Helikon to a Transfiguration W if you like.

You have a nice system, though you didn't mention any listening preferences. As always with moving coil cartridges, loading is critical! Also, you could definitely (again IMO) benefit from a tonearm cable change to: Silver Breeze, Hovland Music Groove, or if you can afford the very best (IMO) the Purist Venustas or (yikes $$$!!) Dominus.

Dan,

The Allaerts USA distributor is Audio Advancements:

http://www.audioadvancements.com/products.html

The Allaerts website (including links) is:

http://users.pandora.be/jallaerts/

BTW, there's something out on the horizon, leaps tall Trannies, Kondor-killer, Uber-UNIverse, Dyna-wrecker, Red-Allaerts. Myabi-maybe? No, no! Wish I'd been thinking styli instead of watching silettos when the price and manufacturer was mentiond ;~))

Dan, first time I posted it, it was with an incorrect web address for the Allaerts website -- don't know how that happened -- anyway, so I had to repost 'em both.

What do I mean? Well, don't buy too many cartridges. Maybe just one for now, and something you could sell or trade up from if the opportunity arose. e.g. you could always move a Condor, Transfiguration, or a Titan, if you found two or three more you wanted to audition. And the reason I say two or THREE more is because I think there might be some new models (not necessarily new makers) by year's end.

BTW, although there's only one person I know of here on AgoN who has one (Rushton) I definitely think you should put the Magic Diamond on your short list (available discounted from Lloyd Walker.

Speedy, nope, the Clearaudio fortifications have not been penetrated by my spies. However, based on other intelligence, I was simply advising those in the market to purchase, or especially those thinking about an upgrade, to perhaps hold off a bit.

Rightonscales is out of the Jennings but savon has 'em:

http://www.saveonscales.com/product_jennings_cc100_digital_scale.html

They're quite good. I have the audiophile-modified version by Audioparts, but it cost 5x more.

Dan + Speedy, yes I do have the Audio One, but frankly would have bought the $30 version had I known about it at the time. The little "stylus shelf" shouldn't really be necessary if you just position the scale next to the edge of the platter and support it on something rigid so the measuring surface is even with the top of the platter.

As for accuracy, I've never had a problem, but because we don't use these things very often (at least I don't) I always check the battery voltage before starting, and calibrate it several times during a measurement session just to make sure that zero stays zero.

Once again, like with SRA and anti-skate, the important thing is to get inside the "design range" better known as the "ballpark" so that you can then fine adjust by ear.

In the case of VTF, it doesn't really matter if your scale is precisely accurate in absolute terms. If your cartridge VTF range is say 1.8 - 2.0 and you have a scale that measures in 100ths gm, then you really need only start with a reading anywhere between 1.85 and 1.95 to be in the "ballpark". So let's say you set your VTF for 1.89gm (so what if it's actually +/- .05 gm?) All you need to do after that is keep track of what you think you hear (write it down!) as you go up or down from the initial setting in .01 gm increments. I think educating one's ears to the sonic subtlties of changes in VTF is a far trickier skill to acquire than most folks think, and takes a lot of practice just to hear the changes, much less know with confidence when the setting is the correct one.

If you're really anal compulsive, and you want the numbers on the tonearm dial to read as close as possible to the actual downforce (while at the same time accounting for slight deviations in your own particular scale) then set the dial to read some known force like 1.5 gm, and then using your scale, patiently adjust the counterweight(s) until the scale reads 1.5 gm. That's as accurate as it's ever likely to get, and plenty accurate for audio, in my ever so humble opinion.

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Speedy, I think your point is very well made. If money weren't an issue for me, I'd buy a Winds in a minute and not give it a second thought. And if I were lucky (like you are) to be surrounded by enough like-minded audiofolks to do a "group purchase" that would be even better (for an item used infrequently by any one person.) But I live in a desert, both physically, and in a lot of other ways, so I have to make certain decisions based on fiscal prudence.

However, I can achieve the same results (accuracy) as anyone else, with a device that costs less than a tenth of the one I'd like to have, so long as I'm willing to spend an extra few minutes calibrating and checking batteries.

Price isn't always the issue either -- wasn't it you who was so critical of the reliability of the (not inexpensive) Cartridge Man unit?