Well Tempered Classic or Technics SP10Mk2


I am currently using a Well Tempered Classic with a Grado Sonata Cartridge. I have the opportunity to purchase a Technics SP10 mk2 with EPA 100 tonearm with the Obsidian base. I like the Well Tempered Table but I have read much about the new respect for the Technics direct drives. Will going to the Technics be an improvement over the Well Tempered or more of a lateral move? The rest of my system is Beveridge 2sw Electrostats with Shahinian Contrabombarde subwoofer. I use the VTL ultimate preamp.Thanks in advance. Bob
128x128baranyi
Dear MDT, I own a Triplanar and love it. However, with reference to the EPA100, my comments were based on hearsay. So many disparate reputable persons say it is excellent (e.g., Mosin, Raul, etc) that I have come to believe it IS excellent. I have no idea which arm would win a head to head comparison. The point is that you cannot go wrong buying an EPA100 at a fair market price; at worst you can sell it and apply the cash to a Triplanar.
MDT,
As important, or more, than the tonearm is a heavy and well isolated plinth for the sp-10 tables. I currently have two identical double arm plinths. For two of the four tonearms, I use the EPA 500 system(seven different armwands in all). The other two arms are modern high end arms. The EPA arms compare surprisingly well to even the Air Tight PC-1 Supreme on the SME 312s Magnesium. For fun, I tried the Ortofon MC10 which I bought for $150 on the a501L wand with surprisingly good results.
Rewiring the EPA arms may help but I've done nothing to mine yet and they perform very well. Lewm is right, for a relatively low price, you can try the sp-10 and EPA arm with little loss on resale. I doubt resale will be a consideration however.
The EPA-100 was and still is a very good tonearm. Its' current selling price makes it a bargain compared to VPI, Nottingham, and Rega crap for the same and even more money.

But to say it's a contendor for the "best arm ever made" is really foolish.
Dear Audiofeil, Did anyone here say that the EPA100 is the "best arm ever made"? I don't want to re-read all the posts, but I don't recollect that anyone made that claim.
Lewm,
I don't believe anyone did either. The EPA arms hold their own quite well against anything I've tried though. The sp-10 tables likewise. I don't know how anyone could make a claim for best ever on either one but they're both good enough that only modern sota designs will surpass or even equal them, and at a much higher price.
By the way, get that mk3 up and running. It's a beast.