better tonearm for SME 20/2

Rob,
For $1,500 you could try a Sumiko Celebration. I have one on a SME V and SME Model 10 table. I read that the cartridge was designed using the SME 30/V combo. The synergy is truely excellent! The sound is slightly warmer than neutral but it sounds wonderful with classical and jazz. Perhaps Raul can add his thoughts regarding this cartridge.
Peter

Dear Aubullience: I agree with Peter advice. The Sumiko Celebration is a great performer on its own but happen that during its voicing was mounted on a SME V tonearm this fact means that this tonearm is the best match for the Celebration and it can easily outperform some of the Lyra's/ Koetsu's and other more expensive cartridges.

Btw Peter : my experience with the Celebration is of a neutral tonal balance but maybe this subject is system dependent specially with the Phonolinepreamp, I can asure you that though the Essential 3150 is dead neutral and lovely performer. Highly recomended!!!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Just to add, to Raul and Peter, the Celebration fits your decription to a tee

"I'm looking for something that's neutral- not lush, but not analytical at the expense of musicality either. I listen to a wide variety of classical music, much of it orchestral (mb 40-50% of my collection), in addition to rock (30%), w/ world music, r & b, & jazz making up the remainder of my listening in about equal proportions."

If you can set the cart load to 1K ohms do so for the Celebration, it really is like finding the right VTA with some carts - it just locks everything in to where the "magic" is just so obvious. I use a Basis Vector, but your SME will really work well with the Celebration (as it can send a little energy back into the arm and the SME is SUPER stable and able to take anything a cart can send). I have the same listening priorities as yourself - mostly larger Symphonic works (Romantic and Modern era's) and the Celebration throws a huge stage, hall info (at 1k loading), palpable players in stage ("see around", not "see through" carboardy players), it does vocals and rock very well, great pace, great layering and dynamics,..... I would have to go to a Lyra Titan, top ZYX or Transfiguration to beat it. I have had mine a few years now, maybe 800 hrs???? and its stylus looks like it has very little use - so it seems to really last as well.

Thanks for the feedback. Am still deliberating. Raul, I'm a bit uncertain about why the Celebration's being voiced on the SME V would make it the obvious best choice. I'm assuming it would make it synergistic, but to be a devil's advocate, isn't it possible that another cartridge would nevertheless sound better on the arm if it had enough intrinsic advantages over the Celebration and was still compatible?

I'm considering the Celebration, but I've also heard great things about the Helikon. Has anyone heard it on a SME 20/SME V combo? Impressions?

My 2 cents worth - I have a 20/2 with a Phantom B-44 and a Lyra Titan . I used a Helikon on a Sota/ ET 2.5 for years and was very happy with that. But, I listened to a Titan on a SME V on a 20/2 and was amazed at sound I heard. The Titan is a more refined sound in all aspects, IMHO. It was not easy to find the extra bucks for the Titan but for me it was well worh it so I made it a priority in my budget. I don't llisten to digital very much anymore.