Another “How to choose an arm” question

@holmz 

According to Soundmsith you can use a step up transformer with their low ouput MI's. A 1:10 transformer will present 470ohms to the cartridge which is about as low as you can go.

A friend of mine has the Soundsmith Paua, which I really like - better than his Koetsu Rosewood & Lyra Helikon SL - but it needs to see about 800-900 ohms.

I would personally avoid using a step up transformer because of the lack of adjustment of impedance seen by the cartridge ( you can load transformers but that has issues ).

Also I feel any gains from going to the low output can easily be lost with the addition of a step up transformer and cables.

The 2 options are if you run a low output Sounsmith MI get their matching phono - its quite reasonable and stands up to both a Lamm & Linn Uphorik with the SS MI - I've tried them.

OR

Look at their medium and high output options.

Dover, In the case of MC cartridges one can imagine an inherent advantage to low output, low internal impedance types. Did you perceive the same for the low output MIs from SoundSmith, compared to their higher output  versions?

@lewm 

Short answer  - don't know.

When Peter was in NZ a few years ago we had a listening session and I heard the whole range including the strain gauge.

Later on my friend bought the Paua, which is superb in my view, but I haven't done a side by side with a low output vs high output at the same price point.

It could be the low output are "quicker" - certainly the Paua sounds ike a very refined moving coil - like a Spendor speaker in presentation. Its a bit of a dilemma.

@lewm , I have extensive experience with The Voice which I own and I have heard the Sussurro but not together in the same system. My feeling is that they sound very much the same. I did not have a chance to subject the Sussurro to a tracking test but I would bet The Voice would do better given it's higher compliance. The Voice is 2 grand less expensive but it really depends on your phono stage and what it works best with. The Voice is as neutral as a Windfeld Ti and even a better tracker. It never looses it composure which I really like. The build quality is as good or better than any cartridge I have used. I would have to make a really big jump to do better which I am in the process of doing. I ordered a Lyra Atlas Lambda SL from Galen Carol Audio in Texas ( he has no idea when it will show up) and it looks like I am going to get a Channel D Seta L Plus phono stage. It can be switched back and forth between voltage and current (transimpedance) modes. It is even better than the Lino C. The only down side is that it is not as versatile. If the Lyra is as good as everyone says it is I'll only need one setup. I'll save my old ARC to play 78's

@rauliruegas , This is true but holmz was asking our advise indicating that he is a little uncomfortable making the decision on his own. You are absolutely right about the knife edge bearing. It can rattle because the contact area is much larger thus the pressure on any point of the bearing is lower, it is free to vibrate. The Kuzma 4 Points focus all their vertical mass on two needle points. The contact surface is much smaller than a knife edge thus the pressure at the points is much higher so they do not rattle. They are also locked in place horizontally. Since you told Holmz that his vertical bearing sucks I don't have to be the bad guy this time:-)))

<everyone> I appreciate all the back dialogue on the carts.

Since you told Holmz that his vertical bearing sucks I don't have to be the bad guy this time:-)))

What does this knife-edge rattling sound like?
(Having a two arm table would be great to hear the differences back to back.)

I don’t care for sibilant sounds…
(nor “graininess”, which seemed like it was around when I was ruining the old class A/B amp, and matching preamp, but has since left with the tube line stage and amp(s) around the y turn of the millennium.)

The current set up wit the SE317 and p77i is not too sibilant… well a few LPs are… but they were much worse in the past. So it very liveable now, and quiet nice overall.