What Does It Take To Surpass A SME V?

@neonknight I was informing you that the owner of the Schue TT, feels the TT was worth the additional investment, hence the more expensive Tonearm is being acquired.

As for the design of OL Tonearms above a certain price level, I can only say I have been impressed during the demonstrations and look forward to this next one to take place. 

I am trying the added mass modification suggested by @JCarr for SME V with a Lyra cart, with promising results; sound seems a bit fuller and deeper, with no obvious problems, mistracking etc. Total mass ca 35g (5 on the headshell, 30 on the counterweight). Maybe best with a little bit oil reservoir damping too. Atlas at 1.71g weight.

@o_holter  How did you add the mass at the counterweight? What did this give you as an effective mass for the arm when done? 

@neonknight 

Mass on counterweight: I used a small disc that was part of a footer (cone + disc) with a center cavity that fits on top of the c-weight screw head. A coin with a hole might work too. So with a little bluetac it is stable. 

Effective mass: not sure! Seems to be a quite complex calculation (google effective mass, here and on  vinylengine). Some argue that  the c-weight mass adds ca 10 percent of the total added effective mass (90 pct at the headshell).

It is a fairly easy to experiment with, with coins of different sizes and bluetac in between. If I understand @JCarr right, the effective mass should be 16-18g (including the 10-11g of the SME V itself). So far I am positive, yesterday I even wondered if my horn speakers now sound a little bit more electrostat-like.

@neonknight Yesterday I was at a Local HiFi Group Meeting, which took place at a New to the Group Members home.

The Scheu > OL Conqueror IV > Sumiko Pear Wood was brought along for the Analogue Presentation.

The day was filled with first time encounters, the Amp's in use were Monoblock Devialet with B&W 800 D3 Diamond Speakers.

The sound of the Amp' > Speakers is not my usual experience, and the Phonostage was the Amp's Built In device, again another unfamiliar device.

The Schue seated on IsoAcoustics Gaia III Footers, adorned with the Conqueror as a debut Tonearm, presented in a way that was very impressive and showed of the qualities that could be attained from being used with a unfamiliar System.

It would have been great to have heard the upgrade arm to the Illustrious, used in a more familiar set up and listened to the comments offered by those who know the Schue and System in use well. All present apart from the new member are familiar with the Schue in use, and were of the view, during its use in this system there was a very attractive presentation being encountered.