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SME 20/3 --- tonearm recommendations!?

Hello Gon'ers - I have an SME 20/3 coming, recently purchased on Audiogon. I'm trying to decide what tonearm will fit the table and be a good match. I considered Graham Engineering but I have a similar setup already (30/2 + Graham Phantom II). The tonearm will be mated with my Koetsu Urshi Blue cartridge. I generally listen to Jazz and classic rock, but also enjoy most any genre. Will be mated to a Pass Labs XP-25 preamp. 

I've considered an SME IV modified (new bearings, new wiring), or one of the Kuzma tonearms. They seem to be on vogue but I don't know much about them (or it they will fit the SME).
128x128mohawk195
snackeyp's avatar
snackeyp
455 posts
 
I have a 20/2 that I ran with the IV.vi tonearm for a few years before upgrading to a Tri-planar tonearm.  The Tri-Planar was a huge upgrade.
I had to machine a custom arm board to mount it to the plinth, but it wasn't hard to find a local shop to do that for me.  

noromance's avatar
noromance
9,907 posts
 
SME recommend the Series V.
The IV is not as good by a margin. Not sure of the mods you mention on the IV but I heard the two in an acquaintance’s Townshend Rock system albeit some time ago.

mohawk195's avatar
mohawk195 OP
9 posts
 
I believe what I’m going to end up doing is putting my graham engineering Phantom II tonearm on the SME model 20/3. I’ll put the Kuzma 4point on the SME model 30/2. I believe the 30/2 can bear the weight of the Kuzma better than the 20/3. Plus I’ve seen more than one 30/2 set up this way.  This is in the cast in concrete of course but that is the way I’m heading.
pcosta
241 posts
 
Good choice 
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
Mohawk, The Koetsu is a low compliance cartridge. Pretty much any 9-10 inch arm is going to require you to add some weight to the head shell. I am not sure if the 20/12 will take the weight of a 4 point 11 but it sure will the 4 point 9 which I highly recommend. I have an arm with adjustable VTA and I use it just once when I set up the arm. You will not miss it at all. The SME arms are also fine but I prefer the Kuzma for a number of reasons. Don't forget to get some head head shell weights and a HI FI News test record for set up. 
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