SME V vs 309 Sonic Differences

I wouldn't worry about any rumors on the sound of SME arms. They are right there at the top and the right cartridge can get a wonderful pairing.

Stereophile, in their review of the SME 10 table did a comparison between the 309 and the IV.Vi. That should get you close on the info you're seeking.

http://stereophile.com/turntables/376/index.html

I owned a SME 20/2 IV.Vi arm for nearly 10 years. The SME arms have the best build quality out there imo. I can attest arm cables make a big difference on the SME arms (I used a Hovland, Graham IC 50, 2 different Purist Audio Designs -Venastus and Proteus Provectus)

Arms are hard to judge, did you get the cartridge dailed in exactly like the comparsion arm? Etc. I suspect the SME V and IV.Vi are better...but you might also be better off spending more a arm cable or cartridge to...

Good luck !

I'll just second that the tonearm cable makes a big difference on the SME's. The stock SME cable with my 312S (Van Den Hul) is rather poor IMO. When I replaced the VDH cable with a Graham the difference was very notable (for the better) - and I'm generally a skeptic when it comes to cables.

Hmmm....sounds like my best bet might actually be the idea I had to take my battery powered MC step up and solder a short set of lines directly from its PCB to an SME din. Maybe with a Litz braid.

Hi Gsoravil
I actually have used both arms on my SME 10 tt.

First upgrade was a vdH Silver-Hybrid (SME upgrade item) with the 309.

Next going from 309 (with the silver cable) to a SME V arm.

In each case I would not have wanted to go back to the previous item - the changes are NOT dramatic yet worth while. The silver cable gave me more 'harmonic detail', subtle but absolutely worth while when first used with the 309.

Going to the V arm from the 309, a re-test of the stock copper hybrid became a complete NO NO.
The V is clearly more revealing and has a better bass performance, so much so, that I had to now use the silicon damping through (very little but still) with the same cart (Windfeld) and settings I had used with the 309.
The 309 is a bit more benign (less energy at both frequency ends), not a bad arm at all! (same family signature)-- BUT again, you do get what you pay for when going for the V.

Lastly, my system is pretty much revealing and it clearly showed the differences. Depending on system settings and likes, the V vs. 309 may no be as noticeable --- and some may even prefer an arm that is not THAT MUCH 'on-the-point' as is the V arm. But as I said, there was NO WAY back for me in this case, and I have not regretted a single moment having spend the extra bucks on the V.
Greetings,

I had a 309 in the past and before buying it I scouted the web extensively. My conclusion based on what i read whas that the 309 has a fantastic price performance while the IV and V are just in the norm in that respect. Take it with 2 cents of salt but this was my conclusion. Short/normal budget 309 and the other for top notch performances.
Cheers