Comparison of sonic qualities of some tonearms

@rauliruegas It's good to be back on the reservation:-)

Tonearms

I agree with rauliruegas

Today’s new and recognized vintage tonearms are all darn good.

We all love music, and do the best we can afford to increase the enjoyment.

Perhaps differences are measurable, that does not mean we are all able to hear the very subtle differences OP is asking about. I believe most of us could not hear any difference (and, if so, preferred or better?)

Certainly, the vast majority of us have not actually done side by side comparisons.

Thus, for me, it’s about Features (and appearance).

1. Fixed cartridge/removable headshell

is a clear separation, I always recommend removable headshells, and remind people, despite ‘fixed is better’ thinking, that many highly respected Tonearms came with/have removable headshells.

A quick ‘vintage tonearm’ search on hifishark, recently listed: Denon, Fidelity Research, Glanz, Grace, Ikeda, JVC, Micro Seiki, Ortofon, SAEC, SME’s, STAX, Thorens, ... and many new Tonearms, lets not forget all current beloved Technics .....

2. Wiring, I agree with rauliruegas, is important and ‘slightly more of us’ can hear a difference if truly concentrating, but: enough to rewire when a problem does not exist? I actually moved ‘down’ from silk covered 37 strand litz to whatever Steve at VAS uses for all his re-wiring jobs (unless customer requests …). I can’t hear any difference, but no direct comparison: broken, away, fixed, back. Much sturdier insulation that the silk covered litz it came with helps me sleep at night!

 

3. Azimuth: see below, Micro Seiki headshell collet allows Azimuth adjustment.

I buy headshells allowing azimuth adjustment, shims be gone

 

4. Arm Height Adjustment is very important, not just easier setting VTA initially, but when changing cartridges after initial one is worn, playing from a small collection of cartridges you may have, mounting a friend’s cartridge, switching from Stereo to Mono cartridge …

I have installed 3 arms with easy height adjustment

1. My Acos Lustre GST 801 on my JVC

2. My friend’s 2 Micro-Seiki 505s on his Luxman TT.

 

3. My friends Technics EPA-B500 Base with changeable arm wands

Curved wand, removable headshell

 

5. Anti-Skate is a must, easy?
6. Mounting of Tonearm, ease, solidity, future change, is why removable arm boards are important, not essential but ….
7. Appearance, someday this Ikeda

 

 

 

@drbond I have heard the Viv Labs against an SME V, SME V12, SME 309, Kuzma Stogi S 12", Kuzma 313 ref, Kuzma 4point 9" and 14". 

Whilst all these arms have there undoubted virtues, the Viv Labs does all that Hifi stuff but is just more enjoyable/musical to listen to.

Dear @drbond: I forgot that I owned the Koetsu tonearm ( really good tonearm. ), the Lustre GST-801 that along the Micro Seiki ( I owned. ) MAX maybe are near the best ever and owned too Ikeda tonearms.

I owned too LT: Denessen, Southern and ET and experienced the ones in the Rockport, Goldmund and Walker top turntables.

Nothing like first hand experiences . Btw, in my virtual Agon system you can see at least 12-14 different tonearms mounted in 3 TTs ( 10 at the same time ) each one with top cartridges.

 

R.

@drbond First my compliments on a great thread that hints at how difficult a pathway to truth can be in this crazy but addictive vinyl playback world….

I should have been more precise w my language…. I was referring to the Porter experiment reference earlier this thread….

I guess i somewhat fall into the mists of memory trap @lewm cites having worked many years at several high end shops while flunking in and out of rock bands and various degree granting institutions….. ( we fixed other dealers Rabco but sold nightmare but magic sounding Southers )…

I do have a two arm turntable  project underway…. i could probably cobble together  a quasi valid experiment…. by September and Pac Audio Fest…i’ve great ears coming to visit… serious contrubutors to this thread welcom, if you are around… check swords at the door