Micro Max 282 vs. Exclusive EA-10

Greetings!
Considering purchase of Exclusive EA10 tonearm. Like to ask for opinions, preferably from those with actual experience, about synergy with my cartridges. Have a Grace F9 Ruby (non-Soundsmith), Technics EPC-405c, and a Victor X1II. Look forward to your insightful replies.

Grace and Victor should be fine. I have NOS styli for both of them if you need a backup.

BUT If you want something special for this Pioneer tonearm then look for Pioneer PC-1000 mkII cartridge, it was the best MM cartridge from Pioneer ever. Very rare model. I like this cartridge very much. Beryllium cantilever.

Dear @askye : It depends if the one you can buy comes with two arm wands: and S shape and straigth one where this is for high compliance cartridges as the ones you own it. The S shape can works too using low weigth headshells.

The best alternative is to find out the MAX 282 that comes with 3 arm wands: two straigth ones with different effective mass and one J shaped. I really like the MAX 282 that's a very well damped design.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

The price for Micro MAX series is insane nowadays, it is interesting to read totally different opinion on the same tonearms from different users, here is the one from @opus111  from the first page of this thread: 

having owed both Max 282 and 237 multiple times, I'd say it is one of the worst sounding tonearms I have heard. Bright and sterile would be the right words to describe the sonic character. I would've still kept them if they sounded half as good as they looked. 

FR-64 sounds 10X better at lower used price.

Dear @askye : Read the first page of this old thread where some gentlemans said that apparently the Pioneer tonearm was builded by MS that was the designer/manufacturer of the MAX 282 and they said that because in some ways looks more or less similar to the 282. In the other side you can read the OP opinion and from other very high knowledge owners of the MAX 282.

Even that I never had on hand the Pioneer tonearm you are asking for I think that if was designed by Micro Seiki they does not shared with the Exclusive tonearm the incredible and unique gyroscope type in the pivot tonearm bearing and this makes a difference for the better.

Other unique characteristic in the 282 is that's a tonearm balanced design where Micro Seiki created a mechanism for set up the VTF with out adding resonances that makes degradation to the cartridge signal. Things are that only the GST-801 and MAX 282, uses a non resonance mechanism where all the other balanced tonearm designs uses a spring to set up the VTF that rings as a bell degrading the cartidge signal this is the way how were designed the terrible FR/Ikeda tonearms an even the SME that I own but that I use in static way.

Now, Exclusive is the top Pioneer line and always a challenge for any audio product manufacturers.

In both cases, Exclusive and MAX 282, it’s a must that the tonearm will be rewired internally in those removable arm wands.

R.