JMW 10.5 tonearm cartridge recommendation

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I talked with Peter at soundsmith. He said my soundsmith boheme cartridge will be a good match. He suggested adding some mass to the head of the arm by using the EZ - mount screws and to add 2 or 3 drops of damping fluid. I am going to try this first and see if it sounds good.
I told him I would be willing to buy the zephyr cartridge if he thought it would be a better match sonically for the 10.5 arm. He said either cart would work great. They are two totally different cartridges. The zephyr will be a bit warmer sounding cart, while the boheme will be a bit more analytical and retrieve a bit more detail. He said the zephyr would be a good match for someone running all solid state gear and the boheme would match better with tube gear.
I am going to stick with the boheme for now as I plan to pick up a couple of Mcintosh MC275 tube amps in the near future. Once I get my amps, if I am not satisfied with what I am hearing I may pickup a lyra delos cart and a good step up transformer.

I believe that I recall reading that VPI recommends cartridges weighing more than 7 grams and with compliance greater than 10. I think Dynavector's, Lyra's and Sumiko's are popular with VPI tables/arms. I'm running a Sumiko Blackbird with my Scoutmaster/JMW-9 Signature with good results.

I own a Classic too. My primary carty is the Soundsmith VPI Zephyr and backup is the DV 20X2H. While I like the DV, IMO, the Zephyr is much better. Another plus for the Zephyr is that Peter Ledermann can retip it pretty quickly for only $250.

Your OP mentions that the Soundsmith Boheme compliance is 22um/mN. The complaince factor for the Zephyr and DV 20X2 ranges something between 10 and 15. So, I second the suggestion that you call either Mike at VPI or Peter at Soundsmith for advice re compatibility.

I have run both a Cardas Myrtle Heart (which is a Benz Ruby 2) and currently run a Dynavector xx2 mk2 and both have worked great. The Soundsmith VPI model is supposed to be very good too, it is a higher output moving iron. There have been a lot of discussions about it, a great value around 1K. I might try it out next go around. Have fun w/ the Classic, it is a great table.

I'm using a Zu Denon 103 Prime on my recently purchased Classic 1.

I've used a Dynavector DV-20XL on a JMW-9 Signature and my current JMW-10.5i with excellent results. Based on anecdotal evidence, the most common carts for JMW arms are Benz, Dynavector, and Lyra.

Andy,
Here's a great website you can use to calculate the resonant frequency and find out more about arm/cart matching.

http://www.theanalogdept.com/cartridge___arm_matching.htm

Here's the formula:
rf = 159 / sqrt ((eff. mass + cart weight + fastener weight) * (compliance))

Now, just so you know, there is some inconsistent information regarding the Classic arm. VPI told me it was 11.2 grams. I understand there might be different versions of the arm - one made of aluminum, and one made of a combination of aluminum and steel. It's possible that yours is the latter and therefore heavier, but my Classic is relatively new and I asked a general question and received an unqualified answer.

Contact Soundsmith directly regarding the compatibility of your cartridge and tonearm. They know both products very well.

As for a cartridge suggestion, the Dynavector 20x2 high output is an excellent choice.

I use a Benz Micro Wood SL .......Good Luck with the table I really like mine.

A great match is any Lyra cartridge. I run a Helikon (I am the original owner) on my JMW 10.5/Aries 2 and am very happy with this combo.