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How important is the tonearm?

I am presently shopping for a new tonearm for my new turntable. I looked at basic arm like the Jelco (500$) but also at arms like Reed, Graham, Tri-Planar all costing over 4000$.

The turntable is a TTWeights Gem Ultra and the cartridge I have on hand is a brand new Benz Ruby 3.

Here is a couple of questions for the analogue experts.

1. Is the quality of the tonearm important?

2. Is it easy to hear the difference between expensive tonearm (Ex: Graham Phantom) vs a cheaper Jelco (Approx. 500$)?

3. What makes a good arm?

Any comments from analogues expert?
acadie
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
What's wrong with taps for a dead arm? Sorry, the devil made me do it.
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Paperw8, most any tonearm is a complex system in itself. Sorry, no easy answers.

Tapping. Here we go again.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Play is done,
Gone the fun,
From the makes, from the shills, from the buys,
All is well,
Safely rest,
Mods are nigh.
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
hehehehehe!!!
paperw8
165 posts
 

01-31-11: Dan_ed
Paperw8, most any tonearm is a complex system in itself. Sorry, no easy answers.

you should always question your own assumptions to make sure that you actually know what you are talking about. if you just accept the "it's inscrutable" line, then you are like so many of the "audiophiles" who spout commentaries on this site but who substantively don't know what they are talking about.

i am not suggesting that all of this subject matter is trivial, but my feeling is that i at least try to understand it. "trust your ears" is just not sufficient; if you can't gain some understanding of a process for purchase decision-making you are just throwing your money away. think about it, with all the equipment out there and all of the "synergy" issues that are about, there is virtually an infinite number of different combinations of equipment that one can try. even a turntable system involves a daunting array of choices between the variety of cartridges, tonearms, turntables, tonearm cables and phono stages - and all of that is before you even get to the preamplifier! you have to have some way to cut down the possibilities.
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