SME V tonearm versus Rega tonearms on Michell Orbe

Thanks for all of your responses. I am inclined toward the SME V because it has adjustable damping with the silicone trough and the arm itself is lined with a damping material. I have convinced myself that a touch less brightness in my system will suit me and a bit of added bass and lower mid warmth won't hurt - I can always work that out (make the sound leaner) with tube selection and put a little "edge" back in the tonal mix.

The SME V also offers really good set up tools and methods for fine adjustment that the Regas do somewhat poorly. Taking the arm on and off to insert washers strikes me as a bit primitive. I also understand that the Rega arms are very sensitive to the pressure of the nut on the underside of the arm affixing the arm to the armboard. I do not want to fiddle with that too much. I also do not think that the Regas offer any real adjustment to azimuth, though the SME is not easy to adjust in this way.

No order placed, yet. Steer me right if you have additional thoughts!

The VTA and VTF with high-end cartridge needs precise setup to extract the best. The exactness makes the jump from good sound to magical transformation. OL or not, whether the RB250 is a good arm is meaningless when the cartridge cannot be set-up accurately.

It works fine if the cartridge body happens to match the physical geometry Rega had in mind. Similar problem with Aro, while it has VTA, it cannot adjust overhang.

I had 3 RB250 and all the mods, trying very hard, they are not in the league, just another Best Buy/Best Tweak. Not a world class arm.

www.extremephono.com

Extremephono, you have just commited a sin! Blasphemy against an untouchable component in the high end audio circles...

The Rega arm is REFERENCE in reviews and, as such, epitomizes class, finesse and status.

Just my .02.

I forgot to add that the anti-skating on the RB250 could never be adjusted to spot-on accuracy. Forget about putting any worthy cartridge on this arm, as it will be ruined after couple hundred hours, the cantilever would have slanted to one side, for lack of compensation.

This can be fixed, I use a cotter pin to screw to the left cartridge mounting screw. Adjusting the span of the cotter pin and careful setup with HFNRR at least bring the anti-skate to within a workable range.

So, after you purchase the RB250, added the mod, don't forget, you'll need a cotter pin!

www.norega.com (OK, this is a joke, not my URL..)

Rather than spend the extra $$ on an SME V, get an SME IV.6. I have one on an Orbe (using an old Spectral catridge) and I think the combination is sensational. There are a couple of options you can get with it which will bring it very close in functionality to the SME V, but will end up saving you about $1000.