I’m sure VPI have been giving the idea of a Stand Alone Pod some thought as well.
How to choose an upgraded tonearm.
In two recent threads on selecting an upgraded cartridge, some of you suggested a new tonearm was in order. Since I’ve never chosen a new tonearm, I’m asking you all for some advice on how to do so for that future event.
My current turntable is a VPI Classic 2 with a VPI JMW 10.5i unipivot tonearm. A new Lyra Kleos MC cartridge is on order. I’ll likely be changing to a gimbal style tonearm. The rest of the system is Magico A3 speakers, a Luxman 507uX MkII integrated amp, a Marants Ruby CD player, and a Shunyata Hydra Denali power conditioner.
What price range should an appropriate tonearm for the Lyra Kleos be in, that would also be in keeping with the price point of my Classic 2, The Classic 2 was in the $3-4,000 range, as is the Lyra Kleos. I’ll be purchasing new, not used, and will not be upgrading any other equipment than the tonearm.
Pardon some rookie questions, but what attributes should I be looking for in a quality tonearm? Who are some of the better known manufacturers, and which models of theirs might be workable? Are there other alternative to either a gimbal or unipvot tonearm? Are tonearms generally interchangeable between different manufacturers turntables? And what improvements in sound quality might be gained by upgrading my tonearm?
Since this is all new to me, any other advice you might have about things to consider would be greatly appreciated and will help kick off my research. Thanks,
Mike
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Pindac, thank you again for your input and suggestions. And thanks to the link to the VPI stand alone. I’ll ask them about that when I call. them It’s amazing the amount all of you know.. Imififan- I’m going to have to research those Acoustand Tonearm Pods Nice picture. Thanks. Anybody know how those VPI gimballed Fatboys compare to any other tonearms in the $4500 price range. There are not a lot of reviews to be found, or used ones to be found either. I’m usually afraid to buy used, but am equally afraid of the poorhouse. Mike |
"It’s amazing the amount all of you know.." |
Lewm- appreciate the heads up. It’s going to take a minute to sort out all the information on this thread alone much less other information gathered on the subject. It might be most cost effective to get a VPI gimballed Fatboy and call it a day. It would be integrated structurally with the rest of the turntable since it’s made to go with the existing tonearm’s base. It is gimballed so should complement the Lyra Kleos cartridge better, I wouldn’t have to waste $170 on a dual pivot for the current arm. And the professional set up cost of about $200 wouldn’t have to be redone if I upgraded at a later date to a better tonearm. I’m thinking out loud here. Mike |
I’m not a fan of external arm boards. Instead of explaining the technical reasons, which will invite another 50 odd posts debating the issue, the reasons I would give are - ugly - if the cleaning person lifts the pod to dust underneath, and forgets to tell you they may have moved it, you will likely end up with misstracking and damaged records. You stated that you wanted to keep the Classic 2 for the long haul. If that is so it may be possible to mount a surface mounted arm as @lewm suggested with minimum intrusion into the plinth - 3 screws that when removed could be plugged and touched up quite easily. Another possibility for a surface mount arm would be to get an arm board cut and use the existing VPI screw holes to mount the arm board. Then mount the surface mount arm to the arm board. This would mean no extra holes in the existing plinth. The only question with this solution is whether there is enough height from plinth to top of platter to accommodate arm board plus arm and allow plenty of VTA adjustment. The tonearm manufacturer should be able to advise you of the minimum height from arm board to platter top required. |
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