SAEC WE 506/30 incoming. Anybody here with any experience with this arm?

I have just seen this thread, and have used WE506/30 for several years now. As you now know it does require around 4 degrees extra twist in the headshell. We sell a laser engraved template for this if you need one..

https://zaxisaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/saec-506-printer-template.png

 Once set up, it is a fantastic tonearm, the ceramic headshell is ok but can do better, Oyaide CF is good, as is Nasotec swing, this is what I use. Fonolab do a good arm lift mech too.. Not necessary to stay with low compliance carts, we have used from DL103 to My Sonic Labs eminent to Signature, AT Art 9, Aidas Panzerholz, through to Aidas Mammoth gold mkii, which is simply amazing. It is a bit strange with the offset, but the arm is too good to dismiss it purely based on this aspect.. 

Nice template! I use a Dr. Feickert alignment tool, and it works fine.

I have been in contact with Fonolab in Prague regarding an armlift- cum- armrest. They would be in contact with me as soon as they had it back in stock.

As for carts, I have several others which I am itching to try out, but I am very reluctant to do so before the armlift is in place. It is very interesting to hear about your experiences with higher compliance carts! 

@ps68 
I would imagine the small offset in the headshell is irrelevant in that the arm does not have offset bearings like modern arms anyway. The arm is already compromised in that you have an offset cartridge with non offset vertical bearings, which leads to rotational forces on the bearings.

Being a 12" arm the rotational forces exerted by the cartridge that tend to load unequally the knife edge bearings due to the non offset bearings are also probably less of an issue.

A short update on the SAEC 506:

A really good arm, IMO, and built like a tank. It gives every cartridge I have tried on it a very "matter of fact" sound, but with a really formidable bass foundation. Right now I have mounted a Lyra Parnassus dct, and it really sings. Next cartridge up will be an old Kondo Audio Note Io ii.

As I wrote earlier, Stevenson geometry comes naturally to this arm, and all it takes is an infinitesimal twisting of the cartridge to achieve the right geometry.

My biggest problem is an almost total lack of any meaningful information about the arm. I have done extensive searches without finding any information about the effective mass of the 506. Does anybody out there know?

Dear @tkr : The 506-30 was one of the oldest SAEC designs and was designed expressily for radio stations and not for home audio systems and that's why comes with out arm lift. Over the years and due that the market ask for SAEC designed a truly " lovely " stand alone arm lift. When I bougth my tonearm sample I bougth too that arm lift. Time to time appears in ebay and Yahoo Japan.

All the spec numbers in SAEC tonearms but the 8000 ( that I owned too. ) say that the cartridge/tonearm alignment is near Stevenson alignment as many other Japanese tonearms.

The worst of any of the standard alignments but you don't have to follow using it you can align it for Löfgren A or B with the protractor you own. I used with Löfgreen A. It performs good with no problems.

I can't remember the effective mass that I have somewhere.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.