Tonearm recommendations, thoughts, favorites?

Angsty said:
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.
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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!
 
SnowmaNick said:
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!
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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.
 
SnowmaNick said:
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?
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I’d go flexible. Doesn’t the Soane have a removable headshell with a Boyonet mount? Does Sorane make a longer arm?
 
HiFi Guy said:
I’d go flexible. Doesn’t the Soane have a removable headshell with a Boyonet mount? Does Sorane make a longer arm?
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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.
 
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SnowmaNick said:
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.
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Get the Sorane! I put one on my Clearaudio Performance DC last December. Best thing I could have done to meet my needs.IMG_1889.jpegIMG_1890.jpegIMG_1891.jpegIMG_1892.jpegIMG_1893.jpegIMG_1894.jpeg
 
HiFi Guy said:
I see a Dynavector arm- not a bad thing.


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That was a similarity that struck me at first glance. However, looking slightly closer reveals the only thing in common with the Sorane is the rectangular arm construction. Quite different in practice.
The beauty of the Sorane is its arm mass adjustability. Want higher mass - use the 17 gram stock headshell, balance with the counter weight, and set VTF with the mid arm slide weight. Want lower mass - use a light weight headshell, set the mid arm slide weight to zero, and set VTF with the counter weight. Use variations of these two techniques for variations between higher and lower effective mass.
 
I kinda/sorta got my new Reed 2G setup today. I need a new arm board as the throat of the existing one is larger than the mounting space for the Reed. I have a single screw holding it on temporarily while I wait for the new one to arrive.

The Reed looks awesome and has a lot of adjustability, but it’s much more involved getting it set up.

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SnowmaNick said:
I kinda/sorta got my new Reed 2G setup today. I need a new arm board as the throat of the existing one is larger than the mounting space for the Reed. I have a single screw holding it on temporarily while I wait for the new one to arrive.

The Reed looks awesome and has a lot of adjustability, but it’s much more involved getting it set up.

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Gonna be so worth your efforts. 👍
 
SnowmaNick said:
I kinda/sorta got my new Reed 2G setup today. I need a new arm board as the throat of the existing one is larger than the mounting space for the Reed. I have a single screw holding it on temporarily while I wait for the new one to arrive.

The Reed looks awesome and has a lot of adjustability, but it’s much more involved getting it set up.

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This is just so unbelievably sexy I'm embarrassed, at myself, for my thoughts, about that table.
 
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