What is the best arm for a VPI Aries 2 and Benz L2

I believe the Triplanar VII (or earlier versions) works exceptionally well with VPI tables and Benz cartridges. The Graham 2.2 or Phantom works very well also if you prefer a slightly cooler, more detailed sound. I think both arms sound significantly better than VPI's own JWM. I just heard a Phantom on a super scoutmaster drop some jaws with both a couple of Benz cartridges and a Koetsu RSP.

The Benz L2 is breaking in beautifully on my Aries 2 and SME IV. I have been blown away by how much improvement has come over just a few more hours of playing. I have had several combinations of arms/cartridges in the past, but I have never experienced such a 180 degree turn in performance! In future I might still try something like a Graham 2.2. I noticed that there was no mention of any cheaper arms like the Audioquest PT 9. What if the PT 9 had a drop counterweight like those from Express Machining?

I have been very pleased with my L2 in a Moerch DP6 with 12" red wand. The sound improved steadily as the L2 broke in. I can't say when the improvements stopped, but it was probably in the 75-90 hour range (it now has slightly over 100 hours).

I also have a JMW 10 which I haven't tried yet with the L2, but the VPI arm worked extremely well with a Glider M2. I preferred the Moerch with the Glider, but the VPI arm has a smooth, rich, dynamic sound that is certainly a viable alternative.

Dave

I have owned VPI TNT and Scout turntables with the JMW arms. They sounded good once the arm settled down (about track 2). Those arms jiggle too much for me. What's the point of carefully setting up an arm and cartridge and getting a perfect azimuth only to have the entire arm assembly rocking from side to side after being cued onto the record. Thank you for your input Salectric.

Gfloyd53, I suspect your experience was with the JMW 9, which I understand can flop around a bit. But the JMW 10 and 12 have a heavy collar that effectively hangs below the pivot and keeps the arm pretty stable. I have never noticed the arm wiggling around when the stylus is lowered into the grooves.