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Tonearm Choice:SME or Rega?

I am refurbishing a Garrard 301 greased bearing TT but haven't decided on which tonearm to use. I like the classic beauty and design of the SME 3009 and all of the upgrades and options available, but I also have my eye on the Rega RB300. My current cartridge is a Grado Statement Sonata1, but I'll probably put something else on the Garrard when it's done, possibly a Denon 103 or other MC. I can be patient as I haven't built a new plinth yet, but I would like to have the tonearm in hand when I do. Words of advice from anyone with experience in these matters would be greatly appreciated, as well as other tonearm suggestions. So far, the 3009 is at the top of my list, so my budget is under $1000.
heyraz
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,591 posts
 
Following are the average effective mass ratings for the SME 3009 series.

As you can see there are quite a few versions and I did not even include the 3009 series III (very low mass).

SME 3009 Series II Improved (fixed headshell) 6.5g
SME 3009 Series II S2 Improved (detachable headshell) 9.5g
SME 3009 Series II (detachable headshell) 12.5g
SME 3009R (detachable headshell) 12.7g

The heavier 12.5g series II is often referred to as the "non-improved" for identification purposes.
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mosin
410 posts
 
I know it isn't camp these days, but an Audio-Technica 1005 MK11 will give you exactly the effective mass that you need for the Denon 103. It really isn't a bad tonearm.

I have the SME 3009 Series II Improved, and I wouldn't even consider it for the Denon. I wouldn't use any of the others, either.

Another candidate within the price range is the Stax UA7. It has very nice bearings and an effective mass of 16 grams. You can fix that with a heavy headshell.

...just some random thoughts
stefanl
296 posts
 
This is a note that when you do calculations for the resonant frequency match for the Denon 103 use the value of 12(13) cus compliance for the Denon 103 and not 5 cus.That 5 cus figure is based on a different table than the one most manufacturers use(Denon's fault).When Hi-Fi News tested the Denon 103 in their lab years ago in a review, they found the actual compliance figure to be about 12 cus.This is the figure you should use in calculations.Thus a Denon 103 with the improved SME would yield a resonant frequency of about 11.5 Hz.Does not guarantee it will sound good though,many matches that should not work do and vice-versa.
heyraz OP
177 posts
 
Much food for thought, thank you all. It is apparent that the cartridge comes first and that the Denon 103 is more demanding than I first thought. Since I will most likely use my Grado Statement Sonata 1 for at least a short while, does anyone have anything to say about the SME (preferably non improved) 3009 arms in general vs the Rega models? From what I can see, the SME arms look easier to adjust than the Rega's. I also like the SME's 2 knife edges vs the Rega, which appears to be bearing supported on only one side.
All the bells and whistles aside, how do Rega arms (with upgrades if necessary) stack up against the SME 3009? Has anyone listened and compared?
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