What is the best tonearm for a SOTA Nova turntable?

@gyneguy225 Yeah, Sota can cut an armboard for most arms. Many brands follow SME or Rega(e.g. Audiomods, Origin Live) geometry. 9" arms all will fit. 12" won't. In between, it's worth asking. Sometimes Donna can hook you up with a trade-in armboard, because plenty of folks change direction. That could save you a few bucks and also time, if you get lucky.  Cheers,

Spencer

 

OK real talk time. Maybe try great MM cart. The SUT is not the strong point of your Allnic. Keep everything same and try a Nagaoka MP500 or whatever else floats your boat similar?

Hana is OK too, not great but very even handed.

As we know I have a cartridge to pick up and, some arm board drilling and tonearm setup.

But…

What other MM/MI carts do recommend? Or are they all OK - and just different flavours?

I had pretty good luck with the Garrott Bros p77i, and some of the SoundSmith carts caught my eye, but I did not get a listen to any of them.

Or do you mainly do MC and prefer not to opine?

I've used moving coil cartridges since 1975 when I bought a  Denon 103C. Supex was next. I had a Naim preamp with MC phono card. For a while I was happy with a Linn turntable-Grace 707arm- Supex E+Super feeding my Naim preamp. Then along came ARC preamps (SP10 to start) which changed everything.

I won't be going back to MM cartridges, but I would like to get back my ARC ph5 which I traded for the Allnic. -stupid move!

OK real talk time. Maybe try great MM cart. The SUT is not the strong point of your Allnic. Keep everything same and try a Nagaoka MP500 or whatever else floats your boat similar? 

Hana is OK too, not great but very even handed.

 Hey Spencer

I'm just exploring all the options at this point. The SME is a really good recommendation and I thank you. I may give Donna at Sota a call on Monday. She's always been pleasant and very helpful. I honestly don't know much about the SME arms. I do know that the Cosmos armboard on the Nova would have to be changed out with the ET2. Every tonearm requires its own specially drilled armboard. At least the geometry is already worked out at Sota, and the arm and board are basically dropped into place and fixed with 3 screws.

@gyneguy225 before changing 3 things at once, why not just change the arm first, then maybe the cart and phono stage last. It sounds like you aren't comfortable with the ET2, so that's gotta be what goes first. 

If budget is <$2K, Audiomods & Origin Live should be on your list. I am pretty happy w/Audiomods V w/silver loom & VTA tower on my Nova6, paired w/Dynavector XX2mk2. OL is the obvious alternative w/models both lower & higher in price.

If $2500 or more, a used SME V is what Sota recommends more often than anything else on Novas & Cosmos. 

If >$3K works for you the Kuzmas, Triplanars should be on your list. Cheers,

Spencer

I might have to keep the ET2. I have a lot of time and effort invested into it, like a metal base, titanium wand, two German pumps working out of phase, and two home made surge tanks. Arms have gotten expensive. The ET@ was $1200 back in 1990 or thereabouts. The Sota table was about the same, but it's been upgraded. I just remembered that I sold my Lyra Kleos, and all I can afford at this point is a Lyra Delos or a Hana which I've heard good things about. Right now I'm using an Audioquest 7000 NSX which was designed by Lyra.

I just looked at a Manley and a Sutherland phono preamp, both used at around $3000

Digital streaming is looking pretty good at this point.😁  

I'd like to resurrect the analog system as I have read that I'm missing out not using it.

My question is, where can I make the most improvement for the least cash outlay?

I'd like to keep the SOTA table, but everything else is expendable.

Thanks in advance for some help.

Lol…
I sent Donna and Christian some funds for a rebuild.
I was leaning towards a Korf tone arm, but I stumbled upon a used Schroder CB-9.

But just adding a Garrott bros p77i cartridge had it singing with the old SAEC tone arm and also I added a Korf head shell. That combo, and some DIY phono cable is < $1000, and it’s not bad, and uses the existing MM front end.

The ET2 was actually a pretty common pairing with SOTA Star. But I had one on a Merrill Heirloom (a much jumpier suspension), without the silicon damping, and it was very nerve-wracking to use! From what I could tell the ET2 sounded pretty damn good though. Just more of a hassle to use.

I got my Star III with a Fidelity Research FR64fx and it really feels like the perfect partner. Looks great too! Since then I’ve got a Clearaudio that supports multiple arms and I’ve played with Graham Phantom and CA Universal - but I prefer the sound of the 64fx with most cartridge combinations.

I’ve since had the Star rebuilt as a Nova V, and kept a 64fx on it. Wonderful match!

 I've heard that the ET2 is not a good match with the SOTA, and may be the weak point in my analog chain.

Not true, I ran a Sota with ET2 for a number of years - it is a great combination.

The SOTA has a balanced hanging suspension and is much more stable than TT's like the Linn where the platter/arm sit on top of the springs.

You will have to spend a lot of money to get a better arm.

If you do want to go to a convection pivoted arm I would suggest the Kuzma 4Point 9 - one of the best arms around regardless of price. If you want a cheaper arm the Audiomods Classic or 6 punch well above their weight.

The Allnic is a good phono - why not just get it serviced and buy a new set of decent tubes.

@gyneguy225 

+1

I've considered an ARC Ref3 phono preamp. It's expensive but if it improves my system as much as the ARCRef6 preamp did, it's worth it.

-What a pipe dream.

Triplanar is more costly than the Primary Control Arrow fyi, but is also a good one :)

As far as phono goes its always worth trying when there is an easy return but I would keep the allnic around to compare. Not sure the PS Audio would be a hands down winner, maybe just different...

With a table and cart such as you have, phono preamp will really be critical to allow  everything to achieve best results. 

Solypsa

Thanks for the advice. I'm thinking about selling the Allnic 1201 and replacing it with the PS Audio Stellar phono preamp which is only $2400 new with a 30 day return policy. I like that it has balanced outputs and that Michael Fremmer thought it was a good buy.  The tonearm you recommended is a bit too exotic for me. I couldn't find a list price, but if it's custom made in the Netherlands, it will break my bank.

The ET2 is a floating tangential design which I've always liked, but it's not very good on a turntable with floating subchasis . The SME,Graham or Triplanar would be more appropriate.

Primary Control ( Netherlands ) is making some amazing tonearms. 

Allnic 1201 is very good for its cost, however is a weak link IMHO.