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Tonearm Choice:SME or Rega?

I am refurbishing a Garrard 301 greased bearing TT but haven't decided on which tonearm to use. I like the classic beauty and design of the SME 3009 and all of the upgrades and options available, but I also have my eye on the Rega RB300. My current cartridge is a Grado Statement Sonata1, but I'll probably put something else on the Garrard when it's done, possibly a Denon 103 or other MC. I can be patient as I haven't built a new plinth yet, but I would like to have the tonearm in hand when I do. Words of advice from anyone with experience in these matters would be greatly appreciated, as well as other tonearm suggestions. So far, the 3009 is at the top of my list, so my budget is under $1000.
heyraz
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dekay's avatar
dekay
5,519 posts
 
Following are the average effective mass ratings for the SME 3009 series.

As you can see there are quite a few versions and I did not even include the 3009 series III (very low mass).

SME 3009 Series II Improved (fixed headshell) 6.5g
SME 3009 Series II S2 Improved (detachable headshell) 9.5g
SME 3009 Series II (detachable headshell) 12.5g
SME 3009R (detachable headshell) 12.7g

The heavier 12.5g series II is often referred to as the "non-improved" for identification purposes.
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mosin
410 posts
 
I know it isn't camp these days, but an Audio-Technica 1005 MK11 will give you exactly the effective mass that you need for the Denon 103. It really isn't a bad tonearm.

I have the SME 3009 Series II Improved, and I wouldn't even consider it for the Denon. I wouldn't use any of the others, either.

Another candidate within the price range is the Stax UA7. It has very nice bearings and an effective mass of 16 grams. You can fix that with a heavy headshell.

...just some random thoughts
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