Where to go next with the turntable

vinylshadow

"Removeable headshells add resonance and are a weak link in a tonearm. Convenient but lower performance."

It's a weak theory that limits optional use of cartridges for so many. Limitations of features of tonearms on sooo many TTs today is one of my pet peeves. 

Why then did the SME 3009 and 3012 reach such prominent success and they continue to maintain desirability?

All the Technics highly regarded 1200's have removable headshells.

Ease of precise height adjustment ought to be a main concern when choosing a tonearm. Rotation of arm/headshell is another consideration regarding ease of azimuth adjustment.

Micro-Seiki 505s were/are wonderful arms. The fitting on the end of the arm that fastens the cartridge can be adjusted for azimuth, a terrific feature.

Or a headshell with built in azimuth adjustment feature:

pricey

bargain

Pre-mounting a cartridge on a loose headshell is far easier than mounting to a fixed arm.

Continue to play MONO lps with stereo cartridges due to limitation of fixed arm? Avoid terrific MONO LP's from the era when so many greats made their reputations? 

Stick with a single cartridge choice, that's a damn shame.

I could go on, I've used fixed or removable on and off since 1966, removable/arm features is the way to go!

Other than that, I have no opinion on the matter.

Get thee a tonearm with removable headshell! 

You can get the few inexpensive tools and gather the skills to align a cartridge.

Then, Stereo MM; Stereo MC; Mono; other alternates, hear friend's cartridges on your system, ....

you might want to try changing the cartridge 1st, then later the TT, use the new cartridge on the new TT's tonearm.

The best bass I ever had was a combo of the Thorens TD124’s 9lb platter, SME 3009 tonearm (with removable headshell) with Shure’s last V15vxmr cartridge with beryllium cantilever. Wonderful in all respects, until I broke the brittle cantilever. I now have a new stylus: Jico SAS on boron, in that Shure body. Jico has a brush, but it is not damped like Shure's were.

I have found, the stiffer the cantilever, the better for bass. New, I buy boron cantilevers (not the stiffest, but darn good!). Occasionally I buy low-use used, like a Sumiko Talisman S with a sapphire cantilever that sounds terrific.

I also have VAS re-fit a broken cartridge, the latest is simply un-available without re-building: AT33ptg/II MC MONO Body, new boron cantilever, new advanced tip.

And Shure's 97xe with factory damped brush with new boron/ML stylus for the occasional warped LP.

And, of course I could not do any of this with ease if using a fixed arm.