stefanher wrote:
As I know of no dealer (tell me I'm wrong) who is in a position to allow punters to compare tonearms can somebody help me with an upgrade? If I had £2500 to spend including trade in on my Origin Illustrious which arm should I go for? Obvious candidates are the SME V, the Graham, Origin Conqueror or maybe even the arm the Cartridge man makes (even he won't tell me where I can audition it). I'd like something that suits all music as I listen to everything except reggae & "dance" & an ability to work with most cartridges from the Lyra through the Decca Gold would also be helpful. It would be used on my trusty Garrard 301. Any ideas??
Difficult one - much depends on the cartridge you want to use as I doubt if there is really a universal arm out there.
The Fidelity Research FR64S takes a lot of beating and we have all heard the raves about the SMEV but there is not universal agreement.
I agree with suggestions about finding an enthusiast dealer who will guide you to the arm / cartridge combination your ears desire.
As to Deccas and 401s well they are no more problematic than other turntables its all about earthing. But quite frankly IMO it is a waste of money putting an arm of that quality on a 401 and I would be looking to keep the arm you have and put it on a £2,500 spinner like an Avid.