sorry @lewm I have not heard the Technics and can not comment. I do not make pronouncements based on spec sheets.
SME 309 or SME 3009r?
I have both arms. My turntable is an Avid Sequel. My cartridge is a Benz LP. I want to rewire one of the arms, but don't know which would sound best. I currently have the 309 on the table so I know how that one performs. I've had the 3009r for quite sometime just sitting on a shelf. It's in terrific shape and the person who gave it to me, and has since passed away, thought it would outperform the 309. Does anyone have an informed opinion? Thanks.
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@yogiboy I find your comment interesting. I trialled a MkIV on my Rock tt and was rather underwhelmed, although it did some things very well. The dealer told me that the IV was a bit of a dud and that I really should listen to a V. Unfortunately I moved and never had the opportunity to take him up on his offer. |
This is nonsense. The later SME IV had the same bearings as the V - the main difference is the addition of damping troughs and minor bits to the V. If the IV is a dud in your dealers opinion then the V must be too - they are essentially the same arm. I distributed SME for a brief period - I know these arms well. |
For the great uneducated in this thread - as @neptune123 pointed out the SME 3009R is a totally different model to the SME 3009. SME 3009 - light arm for medium to high compliance cartridges. SME3009R - medium mass arm - stainless steel arm tube - released many years after the earlier 3009. The SME 3009R is a much more sophisticated tonearm - for example the counterweight assembly can be adjusted laterally and well as forwards and backwards to ensure perfect weight distribution over the knife edge bearings. From the comments above I would surmise that most of you have never heard a SME 3009R, which was sold predominantly in Japan. As far as the Tinn Tiktok goes - they all had soft bearings - the SME 3009R will be still be running long after the Tiktoks have worn out.
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the SME I trialled was one of the first on the market, and its performance was not top tier for the great uneducated & specification oriented on this thread. I dare say the improvements wrought by the changes to later production must have been significant. I just read a 6moons review which sums up my views in a nutshell
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