Comparison of sonic qualities of some tonearms

I am not an expert, but in 1989, I purchased an SME IV. Brooks Berdan, an analog equipment expert, removed the wiring, installed the finest Cardas phono cable (and I also mean the absolute hairlike finest thin cable), shot closed end foam into the tube and epoxied the ends at the cartridge wiring exit in front and the wiring within an RCA outlet box. Despite the clumsy VTA adjustment, it has been a dream arm for simplicity in use and dialing in setup other than VTA. I’ve used a DynavectorXX1, Lyra Lydian, Benz Ruby III and now a Dynavector 20X2 L (plays nearly all my 28,500 LPs well or great). I wanted a Tri-Planar but it was too costly at the time. It’s still a great arm if not near SOTA. I paid $1100 and when production ended it was $4300. Great arm.

For an upcoming experience, that in my mind one I am very much looking forward to. T

The Designer / Builder / Owner of the Tonearm to be put under further trials, is looking to set a date for this period to commence, but it is predicted it will most likely be a set of dates, as the intention is to run things on to allow Wires to optimise.

To assist with this period of trials, I have purchased a Batch of Wire to be used as a continuous Wand Wire on a new design Tonearm.

Wires Purchased are from 0.1mm - 0.3mm Diameter, of which some are a Solid and some are Stranded.

Wire Types are Copper and Silver, with the intention to put PC Triple C and PC Triple C /EX Wire in the line up, as this type is what I know as a modern design for a Wire, and the only TA from a commercial entity using it as a Wand Wire is SAEC in their WE-4700 $13000 TA.

D.U.C.C Wire is a modern Wire as well, this might be introduced at the latter stages of trials, when another Branded Wand Wire is trialed.   

The intention is to select a Wire that the listening group unanimously agrees on select a Wire the designer builder would like to run with.

The next intention is to become quite familiar with how each is able to impact on the sound being produced across a selection of systems.

When this is done the intention is to bring the AN Kondo Silver Wire in as a further  comparison, to see if anything manifests to change the opinions of the previous choices made by the attendees at the demo's.

The AN Wire will sell on very quickly if not up to the task, or will be retained and could be a wire that is possibly offered (?), as a Upgrade Wire Option when the TA's become a sale item.

All trials are to be carried out initially on a same support structure, same system, using the same TT > Plinth > Tonearm > Cart.

Additional Phonostages will be utilised either as a SUT - Head Amp > MM Input or as a Dedicated MC Input.

This same trial type will also be done on the same system to compare Tonearms of other Brands as the Plinth is produced in Panzerholz and is purpose designed for this experience, enabling it to receive additional arms between 9" and 12".

Same Brand Cart's are available with a very similar usage life to be mounted on the Tonearms. 

My own SME IV will be one of the TA's used for the comparisons, as will my TA, that superseded the use of my IV and my owned Audiomods Series Five.  

I’ve been using the (legendary, so I’ve been told) Sumiko MMT since 1985.

Just two weeks ago, I got lucky and found a NOS minty Jelco SA-750EB.

Jelco made the MMT and this is essentially the same arm, but better, with newer improved bearings, it’s about an inch longer so it will improve on the HTA, etc.

The point being that I have a turntable/cartridge/tonearm combo that’s worked for almost 4 decades, so why fool around with a totally different tonearm design, comparable or not?

theaudioatticvinylsundays.com

@unreceivedogma I as an individual am very pleased to hear your commitment to a Vinyl Source of 40 Years.

I myself have used and do use TT's of this age and older, as well as a Tonearm from this era as well, even though fully redesigned as a functioning model.

I have been able to witness the state of mechanical interfaces from devices used for replaying vinyl from this prior to this period, this period and newer, where the build up of contamination and loss of a functioning lubrication is nothing but detrimental to the function of the moving part, even could be described as catastrophically impeding the function.

Thorough Cleaning, Servicing and even Repair is a must. 

I will find it very very difficult to accept a optimum performance is on offer from a very old mechanical interface that has not had TLC administered from a competent person.

These partially functioning devices will replay music, but only as a version of what their youthful formers selves could create.      

@pindac
All of my components get serviced every 5 to 15 years, depending.

The tonearm has been serviced and functions as it is designed to.

People who manufacture tables and arms say that with proper maintenance, old components can last a lifetime.

The owner of VPI talked me out of spending $5,000 and out of upgrading to a classic from an HW: he said that the HW MK IV is as good as the classic and the bearing is designed to last forever. Not to be too on-the-nose about it, but that was $5K he could have made from me; instead, he told me to spend it on the wife. So, he clearly disagrees with you: since he has been building tables for almost 50 years, why should I trust you more than him?

I recently had two guests over from Israel (I studiously avoided politics for an evening): one is a repeat visitor but who hadn’t been over since Jon rebuilt the amps, and the other was his dad who had just flown in. His dad is a year younger than me.

For two hours, I played some of their favorite music, as well as some surprises. For two hours, on almost every song after song, I would drop the needle in the groove and watch them clasp their hands over their heads and faces in astonishment and disbelief: they could not believe what they were hearing. At the end, the dad gets up, gives me this enormous bear hug that only Mediterranean types are capable of, thanks me again and again and says "When I die and go to heaven, I am going to ask God to send me here".

Btw, my speakers are a mere year younger than him: they are 68 years old.

Do you REALLY think I would not give attention to maintenance?

Oy vey iz mir. 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄 🙄