Tonearm recommendations, thoughts, favorites?

[SnowmaNick]

I don’t have experience with turntables with multiple tonearms. If I were to get one, I’d try to make sure that between the two tonearms, the table could handle my five favorite cartridges and five I’d like to try most.

I have similar thinking. I am going with the Audiomods arm partly so I can keep using Grado carts, but also Benz Micro, Hana and AT. So. It has me pretty well covered there. The question nagging at me is, do I still need a lot of flexibility on the heavy arm too? Both the Sorane and Schick arms have detachable headshells, would work well with low compliance carts, could take an Ortofon SPU, and are well reviewed. So, it comes to overall length and less tracking error from that vs more flexibility and adjustment but a shorter arm?

Damn analysis paralysis!

 

[OMC]

You might look at the Origin Live Onyx arm.

 

[SnowmaNick]

You might look at the Origin Live Onyx arm.

I was looking at their Illustrious 12”, but I would like at least one arm to have a detachable head shell.

 

[Angsty]

I have similar thinking. I am going with the Audiomods arm partly so I can keep using Grado carts, but also Benz Micro, Hana and AT. So. It has me pretty well covered there. The question nagging at me is, do I still need a lot of flexibility on the heavy arm too? Both the Sorane and Schick arms have detachable headshells, would work well with low compliance carts, could take an Ortofon SPU, and are well reviewed. So, it comes to overall length and less tracking error from that vs more flexibility and adjustment but a shorter arm?

Damn analysis paralysis!

The lower tracking error, to me, is a bit of a red herring. Although you can calculate a lower tracking error from a longer arm, I’m less convinced of the audibility of length alone given all the other factors at play. There are many, many great turntables with shorter arms.

 

[HiFi Guy]

I decided to order an Audiomods Series VI tonearm in 10.5” length. Using the Audiomods arm as a medium weight/med compliance arm that should work with a wide variety of modern cartridges.

I’m now debating if I should change my order of a Sorane SA-1.2 arm to a Thomas Schick 12” as my heavy arm for med-to-low compliance carts. Mainly my Zu/Denon DL-103 MK II, and if I ever decide to try a SPU.

The Audiomods arm has a pivot-to-spindle length of 239 mm, which will just squeak in under the 240 mm max for the secondary arm on my Feickert Blackbird. Which would allow me to go with a 12” like the Schick in the primary tonearm location. The Sorane is a 9.4” arm with rather a lot of flexibility and adjustability.

So now I’m torn. With the Audiomods allowing a fair range of carts, should I go with the more flexible Sorane or the longer Schick? My dealer can get either and the cost is close (Sorane comes with a headshell, Schick doesn’t.)

Anyone have any advice?

I’d go flexible. Doesn’t the Soane have a removable headshell with a Boyonet mount? Does Sorane make a longer arm?

 

[SnowmaNick]

I’d go flexible. Doesn’t the Soane have a removable headshell with a Boyonet mount? Does Sorane make a longer arm?

The SA-1.2 does have a bayonet mount for its head shell. Their lower series arms in 12” have detachable headshells, their higher model “ZA” line is a rigid heavy arm with a fixed headshell.

Based on the feedback here, it looks like I should stick with the Sorane SA-1.2.