Ortofon as309s or sme m2-12r

I am also looking at a similar choice. Ortofon or SME.
Ortofon is known to be a Jelco with probably a better internal wiring and some additional adjustment features above the stock Jelco 750D tonearm.
SME on the other hand is of course more reputed for their analog products. The M2-12r is one tonearm which many prefer over the SME V tonearm. That gives it more credibility.

But in the end how different are they sonically, I do not know.

Like I said above, I haven't heard the Ortofons and they certainly have a lots of happy users. My SME M2-12R (with an upgraded phono cable; the supplied one is not so good) holds its own next to a Triplanar VIIuii and Phantom Supreme in my system. I certainly wouldn't say its better than those arms, but it's not far behind, and I find myself listening to it just as often.

I'll add that the thing that put me off the Ortofon when I was shopping for a 12-inch arm for SPUs is the odd geometry, which disallows two null points with SPUs. I think you can overcome this issue by rotating the cartridge in the headshell, but not for SPUs. Now, whether this oddity really makes a sonic difference, I surely do not know.

The RS-309D is a great tonearm, an works well with the Garrard. I have 2 of them sitting on 301s in my listening room right now.

Hi. I have the SME M12-R with the Lyra Delos on a Garrard 401 in a skeleton plinth from Acoustand. It works very well and I can certainly recommend the combination of arm and cart.

All the best

Andreas