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Long and Short Arms. YOU KNOW THEY FIT a Luxman PD444.

Tonearms for Luxman PD444

Suggestions, warnings, known incompatibilities, great low cost ….?

My friend just bought a Luxman PD444. No arms.

Coming with two arm boards,

a. small hole looks like star washer. TP-LH I think. (diameter of hole___MM?)

b. big hole, SME size hole. TP-LS I think. (diameter of hole___MM?)

Note: Long arm must go on the left rear side. That will be the primary arm.

’Normal’ right side arm will be alternate cartridges, primarily MONO ready to go, alternate MM and MC cartridges. Thus long arm can have less/different features, not in a rush to make decisions, so lets make the long arm part two, later.

…………………………………………………….

First: short arm, right side, desired features:

1. removable headshell

2. height adjustment

2a. VTA on the Fly, OR

2b. EASY to see/reach/loosen/tighten, i.e. knurled/slotted gizmos (not allen screw(s)

3. azimuth adjustment. preferred in OEM headshell (some use clamp allowing re-positioning the fitting in the end of the arm, so any OEM or other headshell works. Non-oem headshell, but prefer OEM solves it.

4. integral arm rest/lock (not separately mounted stick)

5. din or rca below the plinth

………………………

..................................................................

So far, hifi shark, $1,500 max I have found:

1. Acos Lustre GST-801 (my rear arm). VTA/FLY. has 1,2a,3,4,5 and unique magnetic tracking and anti-skate. Always check to verify the vta/fly base is included, some alternate mounts exist.

mount: bigger hole, big heavy ’counterweight’ fastened below. I see one on Chakster’s PD444, he got it on, normally, or by some trick.

2. Micro Seiki MA-505 VTA/FLY 505S silver wire; SII, MK3 (other variations ___?) has 1,2a,3,4,5 variations desirable features???

28mm hole, 3 screws from below, nut below

3. Fidelity Research FR-64 Fx. 2b pair of knurled/slotted rods for height

Hole ____mm? nut below

4. Audio-Craft variations: AC-300c; AC400C; AC-3000mc, others? 2b knurled/slotted rod

5. SAEC WE-308SX. 2b knurled/slotted rod

6. Graham 1.5 Tonearm, FIXED HEADSHELL, unipivot (upside down) micrometer azimuth, vta, tracking, anti-skate, Fits SME cutouts i.e. Luxman TP-LS big hole???

7. Pioneer PA-1000 ,Carbon arm, carbon headshell, 2b small 21mm hole

……………………………………………

I got tired down around $1,025, went to bed

Suggestions, warnings, known incompatibilities, great low cost ….?

counterweight rod: anyone know maximum length/clearance from centerline of arm trough to inside of dust cover ____mm?

 

 

 

 

 

elliottbnewcombjr
lewm
13,124 posts
 

Too bad we've lost Chakster.  He was  a PD444 maven.  I hope Putin didn't get him for his outspoken political remarks. More likely he is in Audiogon purgatory for selling stuff here or touting it here and selling it elsewhere.

The Technics B500 is a technical marvel, I agree, but it is so large as to defy mounting on many turntables.  As you say (Elliott) it requires a very large diameter mounting hole, just for starters.  So I would not recommend it unless you have taken all the necessary measurements to be sure it will fit. Until recently, I owned a B500 and two arm wands to go with it.  I sold it because none of the 5 turntables I currently use regularly could easily fit it. (Well, maybe one of them could, actually.)

billwojo
397 posts
 

Last I talked with chakster was a while ago on another forum but it was after he got put on hold in here.

Internet service was getting spotty in Russia and the government shut it down as the war unfolded. Have not heard from him since. No idea what is left on the internet web in Russia at this point unless it's done wireless somehow, the government controls all communication and news at this point. Our friend chakster is just another causality of this war. Hopefully someday we will hear from him again.

I miss his long and informative post.

 

BillWojo 

 

elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,497 posts
 

I miss chakster. I remembered, and looked at chakster’s system photos still here on the site

 

he had two Luxman PD444’s, my Acos Lustre GST-801 on one, a pair long and short of the JVC Victor arms.

Correction: 28mm hole is for a version of an arm without the VTA/FLY base. Both the Acos Lustre and MA-505, with same VTA/FLY base need a 38mm hole

knollbrent's avatar
knollbrent
526 posts
 

@elliottbnewcombjr @lewm @billwojo

I speak to Chakster weekly and he’s good despite Mr. P. I miss him firing off at someone for being stupid.(usually me) I almost bought a second PD444 a few months back but decided to start a Japanese knife collection instead.  Got a Victor UA 7082 and 7045 from Chakster awhile back in pristine condition.  My Victor is back from JP and ready to roll. I’ll tell him everyone says Hi! He's doing well. 

elliottbnewcombjr OP
5,497 posts
 

that's great news, say a definite hello from me.

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