SL1200GAE New Tonearm

Dear @jtsnead :  " Want to change the stock arm. ", what's wrong with. What do you do not like?

The gimball bearing on the Technics arms is really very good design and your GAE tonearm is made from magnesium that's similar on some of the top SME build material.

Been a removable headshell design is really an advantage because you can match your tonearm to any cartridge out there That the TP or other tonearms just can't do it no matter what. ) only by making changes in the headshell characteristics: different build material, different shapes, different weigth, different headshell wires, etc, etc.
In the other side if you want it something better you can do it through the headshells and changing the tonearm internal wiring with out to change the tonearm or invest 3.5K that you can save for other items as could be a better mat and clamp or damping footers and obviously buying more LP´s.

You have several options before you can really feel the necessity to change the tonearm.

Only an opinion.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Ralph, So sorry that I volunteered you for TP questions. That was unfair of me. (I think maybe that was why you wrote, "sheesh".)

No, it wasn't, and no worries.

would like not to drill into the plinth though. The arm I got is from John I think you know him.

@jtsnead , there's no need for that- if done correctly, its all reversible with no evidence it ever happened.

" Want to change the stock arm. ", what's wrong with. What do you do not like?
The gimball bearing on the Technics arms is really very good design and your GAE tonearm is made from magnesium that's similar on some of the top SME build material.

The stock arm is competitive with many high end arms.

But both the Triplanar and the some of the SMEs have something on the Technics arm, which is that the bearings are in the plane of the LP rather than the arm tube. This allows for more consistent tracking force in bass passages and negotiating warp. It makes a difference as to how well the arm can play bass. The Triplanar is far more adjustable, and has much harder bearings; VTA can be adjusted on the fly, and the arm tube is damped for less coloration. A removable headshell means that there are more mechanical connections, which can degrade the sound when dealing with very small signal levels. That is why the SMEs and the Triplanar do not have a removable headshell.

Read my mind atmosphere it is good that it's reversible stock arm is very good I just always liked the look of the Tri planar thinking about the are board from you atmosphere stay tune I will miss removable head shells but the comes down to once you find the cartridge you'd like your tend to just use that 1 anyway

Dear @atmasphere : " But both the Triplanar and the some of the SMEs have something on the Technics arm, which is that the bearings are in the plane of the LP rather than the arm tube. This allows for more consistent tracking force in bass passages and negotiating warp. It makes a difference as to how well the arm can play bass. The Triplanar is far more adjustable, and has much harder bearings; VTA can be adjusted on the fly, and the arm tube is damped for less coloration. A removable headshell means that there are more mechanical connections, which can degrade the sound when dealing with very small signal levels. That is why the SMEs and the Triplanar do not have a removable headshell. "

All that is what we learned but that never no one proved in a scientific way: with facts out of the theory. Something as myths.

Yes, maybe I can be more mind-calm with out removable headshell additional connection joints but this is not the whole history as it’s not what the you say about the bearing plane where it’s extremely important for unipivots but with the solid Technics tonearms that is BS.

Are you trying to terrorize the OP and other gentlemans only because you has a very close relationship with TP? I can proved " face to face " in your own system that a removable headshell tonearm design outperforms the TP everything the same.
Always is the same problem with you: you are biased $$$$ in comercial way and you don’t post as a true audiophile where your only interest is to hel given a unbiased advise a non-comercial one. You can help to your customers but your latest post here is part of that corrupted AHEE where we all belongs but you are in the darker side. Why not let the people to learn, the OP money is and comes from him IT IS NOT YOUR MONEY and your adviise has no true and real foundations. It's very easy to " spend " the money of other person.

@jtsnead you already own as five cartridges and now suddenly you posted:

" comes down to once you find the cartridge you’d like your tend to just use that 1 anyway. "

Don’t tell me: in which planet because that almost never happens in our audio world.

Do what you want it, I really don’t care. My opinuion was and is for you can use your money ( not mine. ) in the best way and that for me is not that TP or SME change. But this is me.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

Yes, maybe I can be more mind-calm with out removable headshell additional connection joints but this is not the whole history as it’s not what the you say about the bearing plane where it’s extremely important for unipivots but with the solid Technics tonearms that is BS.

Its simple. The bearing *style* isn't the issue. Think about two people carrying a couch. On level ground, they both carry the same weight. Going up stairs, the one on the bottom carries more.

If the tone arm has the bearings in the plane of the LP, the weight on teh stylus remains pretty constant with bass and warp. But if the bearing is higher, the tracking force diminishes faster with bass and warp. This is easy to prove out with geometry and is why arms like the Triplanar, SME 5 and ET are set up that way.  Some arms (like the old Fidelity Research) attempt to solve this by designing the counterweight to hang below the arm tube (which the Technics does not do, but would be an improvement for that arm) but this is not as effective as placing the bearings in the right place to begin with.