the perfect tonearm

Dear Franz, Unless the bearing of the Clarify CF is radically different from that of the Clarify, I don't know why you would even consider it, given your experience with the latter (and assuming you correctly assessed the cause of the problem). The M-S 505 is an excellent tonearm but overpriced at $1080, IMO. With patience I think you can find one for less. In the under $1000 vintage Japanese tonearm category, consider also the Lustre and Victor tonearms. Sometimes you can find an SAEC 308N for that kind of money as well. The GCPH should have enough gain for a mid-output MC, I think. And can you say why you think the NAD amp is causing hum in that system? Phono hum is caused by a long list of grounding issues that usually occur upstream from the input of a linestage.

If I were to spend $2000 on a tone arm I would buy the Balance Audio Aeris.

The Opera tonearm sold by Grant Fidelity has gotten nice reviews. Was at the top of my list until I bought an Amadeus (tonearm built in. Go golf ball!).

Any tonearm can only be considered "best" is it meets your needs; be that compatibility with your preferred cartridge or deck, method of mounting, or price.

For the cartridges and decks I prefer, I would have to say that the new Ortofon TA-110 ($1,599) and TA-210 ($1,899) tonearms are exceptional performers at their respective price points.

The new Funk F-XR II.