Help me make the best arm-cartridge matches

Not knowing what sort of sound you prefer means that our recommendations will be more about what we like than about what you'd like.

It's also hard to choose an arm that will compare well with the SY yet give you somethng different, since most of us have never heard the SY.

Can you help us out with either of those?

I'm not that familiar with the S7, but it might be a good idea to get something fairly different. The S7 arm has fairly basic adjustments (non calibrated) so a Schroeder Ref. would be a good alternative, and keep it all clean looking. Alternatively a Kuzma Airline for another take, but its more cumbersome and has a few maintenance issues. For sheer simplicity and no maintenance, an SME V with Kondo wiring and bridge removed is also an excellent performer.

Thanks for the responses. I purchased the two different cartridges due o their different sonic characteristics (I like variety). From what I had read previously, the Decca cartridge does best on a damped unipivot arm and is very sensitive to VTA and VTF. I understand the S7 arm is a unipivot, but I don't know if it is damped in any way. I guess I'm wondering about two things: 1) I should put the Decca on the S7 or on another unipivot such as a Graham that is more easily adjustable, and 2) How does the Koetsu do on unipivots in general and the S7 in particular.

Dear Thsalmon: I insist, a little, that the manufacturers ( tonearm and cartridges ) must be your first advise step.
The second step should be your own experience: with your SY working with both cartridges and " see " which one ( maybe both, we don't know yet ) makes a better SY match ( here it does not matters if the SY tonearm is or is not a damped one or if it is unipivot or not ). Ovbiously that for test this second step you have to have a music reproduction reference fromm both cartridges for you can find what you are looking for.

The third step could be to try in other tonearms and here there are several options, from the Moerch to the Schroeder or Kuzma and other like: SME, Brinckman, Phantom, Audiocraft, Ikeda, Triplanar, La Luce, Naim, Pluto, Linn, etc, etc...

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Buy the Schroeder and Allaerts. I use mine on a Platine Verdier with GT Audio Battery PSU. I also have Deccas, albeit much older ones - an original Garrott Brothers Gold and a Maroon. The Allaerts MC1B just destroys my deccas - shame as I have been very fond of them for over 20 years.

If money is no object, buy a Schroeder Reference or SQ (special quality) and an Allaerts MC2 Finish or Formula 1. The good thing is that if you don't have the money, you've got a 6 month wait to save up after you've placed your order!