New analog rig(t.t.,tonearm,phono drive)


My current analog rig is a Basis 2001 w/ fluid suspension/Rega RB900/Benz Micro Wood M2/McCormack Micro Phono Drive. I like the Basis 2001 but I want to upgrade several levels up. Basis themselves and 2 Basis dealers suggested getting the Vector 4 tonearm. While that is definitely a good recommendation, they also recommend adding the Calibrator Base.
I think the Basis motor is high torque. But, to get the Calibration Base and possibly the Cable Isolation System(around $3,000) along with the Vector 4($6,000) will cost around $9,000 total. With any substantial upgrade I do believe it is time to upgrade from my McCormack Micro Phono Drive as well....That is why I was considering the Vertere MG-1/SG-1/PHONO-1 rig as all of that, even with a tonearm wiring upgrade to hand built, is in the $10,000-$11,000 ballpark which is my budget for the upgrades. I am sure I can sell my Basis 2001/RB900/McCormack phono drive so maybe I could raise my budget a little.

Vertere design is very different than Basis as far metal(w/acrylic mat) vs. acrylic platter, recommendation of no use of a record clamp, motor on the plinth and
lack of suspension(I believe)...I have a 200+ pound Sound Anchors rack so suspension may be less a factor to consider?....Or I could use an isolation platform...And Vertere’s tonearm, while it looks like a uni pivot, Vertere says it definitely is not...

So, while I am open to any other gear, up for consideration is the Vertere MG-1/SG-1 w/ HB wiring/PHONO-1 for $10,000-$11,000 or The Calibrator Base/Cable Iso System, Vector 4, new phono drive for $10,000-$11,000. That just seems a lot to spend to upgrade a 2001.

I’ve never read a bad thing about Basis and my current system has served me well. And I’ve read very good things about Vertere; that this rig combination sounds incredible....But I value the opinions here.
I’ve read several posts from Basis owners but none regarding the U.K’s Vertere...Have any posters here looked into/heard about or own a Vertere system? All feedback is greatly appreciated.
vinylshadow
The Vertere Mg 1does use a suspension , it has 5 adjustable blobs, same design as the Roksan Xerxes and TMS.  If you go the Vertere route i would,t go crazy with those upgraded hand built cables they try to sell you from the power supply to the motor, the basic one should be fine. ¨while it looks like a uni pivot, Vertere says it definitely is not...¨ yes I noticed that on the literature, it says ¨ Tri-Point Articulated (TPA) bearing is comprised of three precision silicon nitride balls and stainless pivot. The pivot point centred between the balls...¨  It does not say it,s  a gimbal either, but it definitely feels like a unipivot when I tried it, not a bad thing some people love those, and as long as you like it go for it.   BTW i have also heard the Vertere phono 1and is also very good, a little  better than the Roksan Reference Phone and in a more compact enclosure.

The Basis 2001 was my first table. With Graham 2.2, Benz Micro, ARC PH3SE it served me well for many years. The silicone damping fluid slowly evaporates away- if you haven't checked yours is probably gone. That's the only problem with this fine if low-tech deck. Simple and direct are good things in a turntable, and the Basis has them in abundance. 

This table also served as the, ahem, basis for mods that eventually moved me up to building the Miller Carbon turntable. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 

What I did was to first upgrade the power cord to the Basis motor. Then experimented with different belts. Then upgraded it with the early Teres Audio motor. This gave me enough hands-on experience to appreciate what changes what on a turntable.  

The 2001 is really just a 1" thick piece of acrylic with some holes drilled in it. You don't need to pay no thousands of dollars. You could drill holes in some other materials and try em out. Many things will sound better than acrylic. But its a lot of work. The best is to use an extremely dense and highly damped material which is what I did, BDR Source Shelf. Its kind of expensive but way cheaper than prices you are quoting. 

I got lucky and was doing this at a time when Teres Audio was around and building extremely high quality tables and components for great prices. Now if you can find something like that go for it, lotta work but highly recommended. But if you want to just buy a table that's fine too. 

Fortunately the saving grace with turntables is there's hardly any bad ones. Virtually all are excellent, or at least can be with the right arm, cartridge, and phono stage. 

There's no right or wrong way to go about upgrading. For example, the kind of money you're talking could get you the superb Herron VTPH2A phono stage (about $3000) and Origin Live Conqueror arm (about $6k) and you would be shocked how much better that will be. You will also at this point be done with arms and phono stages! Those are pretty much lifetime keepers. Then later on some day mount the Conqueror on a better table, be amazed all over again. There's no one right way to do this. 
Thanks cardani. I wasn’t sure about Vertere’s suspension. I was told by someone who does own the Vertere that the standard Red Line wiring and cables were very,very,very good. So, I’ll take your advice on that.

I honestly haven’t researched and don’t know a lot about these things like the uni pivot or gimbal tonearm etc. I’ve only known the Rega RB900. I ’ve read about the Vector 4 and have heard about the Origin Conqueror. The thing with my Basis plinth is only a Basis Vector can drop into the pre cut hole. Otherwise I have to send it back to Basis for a new hole cut or new acrylic plinth...Another reason to move on and up from the 2001

millercarbon- Nice turntable! Interestingly, I recently pulled out my Radio Shack Bulk demagnetizer after reading about demagnetizing LP’s.I bought my Basis 2001 in 2000. Haven’t played LP’s in 8 years. Yeah. I know. But when i tap on the plinth, the table shimmy’s like it always has. So, maybe I’m lucky and the fluid is still there.

The Herron VTPH2A is now on my phono drive list. It must best Vertere’s PHONO-1 considerably as it costs more than 2x the phono-1. I think I paid $1600 for my McCormack Micro Phono Drive in 2000.....
I know there is no one right way to do this but I’d like to be in the neighborhood of doing it right. I just want to do this once. The simple thing about the Vertere MG-1/SG-1 is the factory will mount the tonearm properly. But is the SG-1 carbon fiber tonearm majorly outclassed by the Vector 4 or Origin Conqueror? At $2350, the price difference suggests it does but I don’t know. I suppose I could always just buy the MG-1 and put on another tonearm.
Your pods are dry. The table should not "shimmy". The pods are nothing more than a spring inside an aluminum cylinder. There's paddles attached to the spring. The whole thing is supposed to be full of silicone damping fluid. The idea is the spring isolates the table from movement and the fluid damps the spring. So you have the spring but not the damping. Its questionable whether the damping helps or not, you would have to add to find out. But for sure its gone. 

Incidentally, when it comes time to ship the pods are removed, compressed, and they screw together with an o-ring that prevents the fluid leaking out. That was how after 10 years I discovered my fluid was all gone! 

The Herron sits right at a price/performance point where there's only maybe one or two (if that) close in performance, and you are looking at into five figures to do significantly better. My Conqueror is a dozen years old. It replaced the Graham 2.2. Its not merely better, its in another league. Plus with OL the phono leads are integral so no money spent on interconnects. At this level that alone is worth a grand or more. Not to mention the headaches of finding the right one.  

Tone arm mounting is simple. Most of the people convinced its all so hard have never actually done it. Once you do its like, D'oh! No big. I made a couple trial plinths before settling on the one I have now. Would not believe how much money people wind up spending simply because they are afraid to try. 

With arms, as with turntables, its hard to go wrong and you pretty much get what you pay for in terms of sound quality. That's not all there is to it though. These things have to be set up and used, and some designs make that a whole lot harder or easier than others. I bought the Graham simply because it uses a removable armwand and comes with a jig that makes cartridge alignment super easy and precise. But all the extra connections are bad for sound quality, something I never realized until going to the Conqueror. 

In general I think that arms that are made by tone arm companies like Origin Live tend to be way better than arms made by turntable companies like VPI. Likewise turntables made by turntable specialists like Kuzma tend to be better than VPI. Not to knock VPI, same goes for Pro-ject, Rega, anyone else making all in ones. 

Not to knock any of those brands. They are what they are. They exist for a reason. Not everyone is capable of or wants to do the work of figuring out what to use and how to put it all together. Those who do can achieve truly outstanding results. If they do it right. Those who aren't into all that can still do quite well buying one of these other rigs. Its as important to understand yourself as the product you are buying.
Thank you for your thorough explanation. While this is sorta new to me, I am trying to do as much research as possible.

You are correct about the Basis pods. When I push the plinth down, I hear metal on metal contact inside the pods. It must be the springs I’m feeling.

Your advice is solid. So, if I go beyond the OL Conqueror and Herron VTPH2A, considering I want/need to upgrade anyhow, which t.t.’s jive best with those 2. Or, which ones would be a good choice?

If you believe that arms should be made by tonearm companies and t.t.’s by t.t. companies and considering how you feel about all in ones, taking into account that Touraj of Vertere started out making t.t.’s with the Roksan and should know analog pretty well, where does your thoughts fall on Vertere? That the turntable is good? But the tonearm maybe not as good?

If I need to stay below a certain budget, the $1000 Vertere phono-1 may be good enough a phono drive..
@vinylshadow  Roksan  still makes the Xerxes20plus, which I think is still as good as the Vertere Mg 1. They recently intruduced a new unipivot arm with it called SARA, not the old entry Nima.  But you could also get the table with no arm and get the OL Conqueror with it or the audio origami p7 which I heard is very good. Also the Xerxes tonearm board is decoupled from the plinth and you could order the table for any other tonearm hole, I use mine this days with a SMEV.
Thanks @cardani. I’ve looked at the Xerxes20 plus before. It’s a nice t.t.. Decoupling everywhere....

You’d think that Touraj would have taken all the good design in it and put it into the MG-1... I’ve had my Basis 2001 for 20 years so I’m learning on the fly. Looking at pictures of the MG-1, it appears that the Vertere MG-1 has the tonearm decoupled from the plinth but coupled to the spindle. I think.

The MG-1 is a very attractive t.t.. It seems that the MG-1/SG-1/PHONO-1 might give the biggest bang for the buck without sacrificing on the sonics.

Another attractive t.t. but more costly is the Oracle Audio Delphi MK VI Classic T.T.. Man, that is one beautiful turntable. Might be the only T.T. I’d even consider blowing my budget on. But, how much is too much when it comes to spending $ on a T.T....Somebody posted that in their opinion, sound is influenced 70% by the cartridge; 20% by the phono stage and 10% by the tonearm and table. Don’t know if that is correct though...

Not that there isn’t better gear at the price but all the reviews I’ve read about the Vertere trio have been very complimentary about and the sound. But I’m still considering options....
"Somebody posted that in their opinion, sound is influenced 70% by the cartridge; 20% by the phono stage and 10% by the tonearm and table. Don’t know if that is correct though... "

It is their opinion, but I don't agree. Most of the money for my analog system, until recently was in the TT, now it has a better arm, which made a real improvement. A good cartridge in a great tonearm can sound very good, but a great cartridge in a good tonearm will never sound great.
Yeah. It sounded off to me as well.

Just read up on the Audio Note TT3. Suspended turntable with 3 motors.
I've never seen a T.T. with 2 motors let alone 3. Looks impressive.

While I still haven't made up my mind, I think things are becoming clearer.
If you like Vertere, honestly, go with it. Half the pride and joy is how it looks. Seriously. Because I have yet to hear the table that doesn’t sound good, or at least can be made to with the right arm, etc. It really is a package deal.

Part of why I go for separates, it is so much easier to wind up with a killer rig. Because let’s be honest, few of us will drop $10k on a table. $5k might be pushing it. Or even less. But you take that $5k or whatever, same amount of money, but put into just the arm you have one seriously fine arm. This is so much easier to do with an arm bought separately. A used Graham for example hardly depreciates. What can you get for the arm that came on a table? Any table? Unless it was sold separately no one knows. So the answer is: not much. This all makes it way easier to build a really fine rig. Buy your table, you could start with a workhorse RB300. Whatever. Point is its a modular one piece at a time approach. You can do this also because these things last virtually forever. Decades.

Mine was built just this way, and is over 16 years old now.
Thanks for your thoughts.
One option is to get the Vertere MG-1 table and buy a separate arm...I currently have a Rega RB900 arm on my Basis but want to upgrade.

I am curious about the Audio Note TT3 in that it has a suspended table but more for the 3 motors(they make their own arms too) ...So does having 3 motors make a big enough difference to the Vertere? The MG-1's motor is free to slightly pivot which helps greatly with speed control and accuracy.
@millercabon You thought that the RB300 was a workhorse.
This might be a dopey question but do you feel the same about the RB900? That's what I have now with my Basis 2001 sans liquid suspension.
I've been wondering if I am underselling the 2001/RB900/Benz Wood M2 a little. Not that I won't upgrade but I have no other reference to compare. Thanks.
Vinylshadow, Buying a new turntable is always fun. I have several rules I always abide by when I look at tonearms and turntables.
Rule #1 No unipivot arms. They are inherently unstable. Many manufacturers such as Lyra recommend against them for good reason.
Rule #2 The turntable must be adequately isolate with a suspension tune to filter under 3 Hz.\
Rule #3 The Turntable must have adequate record clamping be it by reflex clamp or vacuum.
Turntables that meet that requirement are Basis, SOTA, SME and Dohmann. Of the 4 SOTA is easily the best buy. It's suspension is brilliant, it has vacuum hold down, it has a bearing with a magnetic thrust system and it has a great drive system. Put an Origin live Tonearm on one and you would be hard pressed to do better at any price. The main downside to the SOTA is it will only take certain 9-10" tonearms. 
The SME is a brilliant turntable but it is three times the price. The Dohmann is the best turntable here. It has a built in Minus K system for the best isolation available in any turntable. It uses a reflex clamp and I believe will soon be offered with Vacuum. It is more expensive than the SME's. Basis tables are fine but they want to sell them with their tonearms which by many opinions are not so hot because they are unipivot arms.
The Vertere is a handsome turntable. It does not have an adequate suspension or record clamping system. The tonearm looks OK but I have not handled one. On appearances alone I would prefer an Origin Live Enterprise arm not to mention any of the Schroder or Reed arms. SME arms are not available as separates any more. 
You buy a turntable to listen too not to look at. The Dohmann is the ugliest turntable here and I would buy one in a heart beat if I had the money:) 
More Motors = more noise. There is absolutely no reason to have more than one motor.  
@mijostyn Thanks for the great information.
Interesting that Vertere does not want a record clamp or vacuum but a free floating LP.  It goes against nearly every other company.Vertere states that their tonearm is not a unipivot. As does Basis with the Vector 4.

I thought about putting a great tonearm on my Basis 2001..Basis advised buying the Calibrator Base with a tonearm upgrade. Perhaps that is a suspension tune?

But the liquid suspension in my suspension pods has evaporated. The springs still work but is it worse off now?

A Basis dealer who was also a Vertere dealer told me that in order to even approach the musical performance of the Vertere MG-1/SG-1 package with my Basis 2001, I'd need a Calibrator Base and a Rega 2000 tonearm. But really with a Vector 4 tonearm. Those 2 upgrades(Calibrator+Vector 4) would cost almost $10,000.
Someone I greatly respect, a total vinyl audiophile, sold his SME 30 and SME V Tonearm for the Vertere set up and he said the Vertere ran rings around it for 1/4 of the price. That got my attention.....He is crazy about the sound. And runs it through the Vertere phono-1. I've questioned different Vertere gear designs and his answer is always about THE SOUND. It sounds great...
That is why i'm chasing my tail with this. Very confusing. I've read so much good things about the SOTA Cosmos Eclipse, but, it's kinda boring looking..I know. Shouldn't judge. (Unless I went all the way with the Millenia Eclipse/OL Enterprise/2nd Mortgage).


A thought for you is shop for a used Basis tonearm (or just buy a new one), and fill the Basis footers with silicone. If you like the improvement no need to change anything else. I think Basis may occasionally get tonearms in on trade to the Superarm, so you may want to inquire with Basis.

If you want to get a new turntable later you can upgrade your turntable and use the Basis tonearm on your new turntable, and sell the Basis turntable with the Rega tonearm.

I have had a lot of different turntables including owning a Basis 2001. It came with a Basis branded Rega tonearm. I upgraded the tonearm to a Basis Vector 3, which I found on Audiogon as NOS. I have trouble describing how much better the Basis tonearm was than the Rega tonearm. The Basis was a quantum step forward.

In the words of AJ Conti, and he is 100% correct, when I asked him about upgrading the from the Rega to a Basis:

"As for the improvement........you have no idea and you would not be able to quite stretch to believe me if I told you. After you hear it you will know exactly why I made that statement and you will be shocked to hear just how important a tonearm is. You will just love it.

My best,

A.J."

Wishing you the best of luck in your search.

Jim Perry
Thanks @jperry. As much as I want an upgraded new toy, I feel like I haven’t really tested the Basis yet.

The Basis rep wrote to me: "The Rega was one of the few stop gap products for Basis, so more customers could experience a Basis turntable, and it was designed so the Vector tonearm can be installed without any re-machining or adapter necessary to replace the Rega. Due to the 2001’s lower price and weight in the Basis lineup, many people do not realize that the 2001 and Vector are a worthy pair. The tonearm is really more important than the turntable if the turntable is of sufficient quality, which the 2001 is. The 2001 has incredible speed stability due to the well designed and carefully executed drive system (quality motor, precision ground belt, tight bearing and platter tolerances). The 2001 also has effective vibration isolation with the fluid damped suspension. And the Vector is amazing, eliminating mistracking, and achieving AJ’s goal of effortlessness in playback, so the music just flows. Unfortunately, too many tonearms are resonant and hard to listen to. A more forward, bright, peaky sound can be confused for detail, but it is not true detail. Basis products are aiming for the naturalness, ease, and low distortion of real music."

Question- Do you think it’s worth the $3,000 for the Calibrator Base($2700) and Cable Isolation System($300) with a Vector 4?..Would it make as much of a difference as I've been told? Or, put all that $ into the Vector 4 tonearm. Maybe saving up for the Superarm 9.........The Absolute Sound wrote this:" If you own a Basis turntable with a Vector ’arm, I can’t imagine a greater sonic upgrade than switching to the Superarm. If you are thinking about buying a Basis and a Vector ’arm, you should seriously consider stepping down a level in the Basis’ turntable line so that your budget can accommodate the Superarm."
Are you getting less out of a Vector 4 or Super Arm without the Calibrator Base? Lot’s to think about!
I agree with the Basis rep regarding the Vector tonearm and it is a great tonearm. I had personal experience with that upgrade and it might be the single largest improvement to my system ever.

I have not heard the Calibrator Base or Cable Isolation System so I really don't know how much improvement they will add to your system. All these things are additive, so I assume the other upgrades would result in an improvement, the question is how much, and I don't have an answer for other than the Vector. That improvement is massive. I have not heard the Superarm, so I don't really have an opinion on how much better it would be than the Vector. It seems like a lot of tonearm on the 2001 turntable, and you might want to spend some of that money on a great cartridge.

After the Basis Vector upgrade I went through a significant upgrade spiral brought on when I heard how much better my system sounded with the Vector tonearm. I have my system posted, although some of the pictures require updating. You can see it here  https://systems.audiogon.com/users/jperry

Best of luck with your audio journey

Jim Perry
Thanks @jperry That is high praise indeed for the Vector tonearm. "Massive" improvement is great!

How much more of an improvement is your Garrard 301 from the Basis 2001? 

I currently have a Benz Micro Wood M2 w/ Boron Cantilever($1600 new  I believe) that was recently serviced at VAS. It had around 50 hours of play on it and the stylus was slightly polished back to new.... The M2 was the previous model of the current ML wood models. 

I'll have to inquire about the Calibrator Base and see what kind of improvement it makes. 20% I wouldn't care. But 50% or more? I'll consider it. I'll write Basis again about it. And ask if they have any used Vector 4's that were traded for the Super Arm...But if they do recommend a $2700 Calibrator base which is just a machined acrylic plate for the pods to be stabilized in, I may be better off selling my 2001 and upgrading the table.

Your system looks great. I love the look of tube amps. I have Jeff Rowland Model 12 monoblocks for each of my JM Lab Mezzo Utopia speakers. The Ikeda tonearm looks to be slightly more $ than the Vector 4 so hopefully if I do go with the Vector, I'm happy for a long while..The Ikeda 9GSS must be amazing..And the Garrard 301. Wow. Nice.....If you are a member of Steve Hoffman's Forum, you can look up my profile information to see my whole system...

As good as it is, it may be time to replace my McCormack Micro Phono Drive if I upgrade to the Vector 4. Oh, the analog rabbit hole....
It sounds like you have a very nice system as well. I will look at it on the Steve Hoffman site.

I didn’t hear the Garrard in direct comparison with the Basis so hard to say. After the Basis I had a SME 10, which I made a great deal on and liked a little better. I also had a Gyrodec which didn’t sound as good, but was very beautiful. When I got the Garrard I sold the other two turntables, as I liked the Garrard more. The Garrard sounds big. Maybe all of the idler torque. The Ikeda tonearm and cartridge took it to another level, and all things considered they should have.

I agree with you that at some point the upgrades stop making sense and you may want to sell the 2001 and buy a different turntable. I usually try to do things one at a time so I can fully evaluate and understand the change made by each item.

Let me know if you are ever in Phoenix, AZ

Best Regards,

Jim Perry
Thank you for your offer Jim. I would LOVE to hear that analog rig. Wowser.
My feeling now is, at 60, I don’t want to go in stages. I’ve been spending months researching and educating myself. That is the biggest thing. But, I want to make the right purchase and then never even feel the need to consider another upgrade. And that includes the phono stage...All of my power, speaker and interconnect cables are very good. But when it’s time to re-tip the Benz Wood M2, maybe a new cartridge. But I need to give that Benz a good ride.

I have read nothing except admiration and adulation about the Garard’s.
I think if I was really going to go for it, I might consider the Oracle Delphi VI Classic. But at $10K+, I am wondering if there is a table close to that in characteristics and esthetics for 30% less. Once I sell my Basis 2001(and Reflex clamp?)/RB 900/McCormack Phono Drive after my upgrade, that will be a nice little refund I could retroactively apply to an upgrade......

I wrote to Basis to learn about the value of the Calibrating Base. But, I think you hit the nail on the head. I do not want to spend $9K on upgrading a 2001. And a Basis 2800 Signature Model is over $12K.

Once I get the soldering iron I ordered from Amazon and finish my soldering work of replacing a burned out tweeter diaphragm voice coil on one of my Mezzo’s, I’ll give my analog gear a good listen and evaluation.

In the meantime, I’ll keep researching. I don’t need the best. I just want a rig that is very accurate and neutral and sounds fantastic. Not as easy as it sounds.


Vinylshadow, If you get the Cosmos in something like Macasar Ebony it is very handsome. I would not get the Millennium as it is not as well isolated and it is not as nice to use. The Cosmos has a beautiful hinged dust cover that is isolated from the subchassis. The subchassis is isolated within the plinth so you can bang on the turntable and not hear a thing. It is nicer to use than any of the other turntable even the Dohmann. If you put your hand down on the Dohmann you get the whole thing bouncing. You have to go to great lengths to have a satisfactory dust cover. You can't just mount one on the turntable like you can with the SOTA. I just wish they would make a version that would take a 12" tonearm. 
As for what your friend hears? I never trust what someone else hears. Listen for your self. Play with the turntable and see if it is stable. Can you jump on the floor without it skipping? Is the very lowest bass satisfactory.
Take a copy of the Red Hot Chili Pepper's  Blood Sugar Sex Majik. See if it makes it through the first side without a hiccup. If it does that is a good sign. 
As for your Basis you can absolutely put a new arm on it. The Kuzma 4 point 9 would be a great choice. IMHO the Calibration Base is a waste of money. A J's design does not need it. I think he is rolling over in his grave.  You are much better off spending the money on a nice arm with solid bearings. The Kuzma 4 Point is a great value as are the Origin Live arms. If you want the ultimate go for a Schroder CB, a fabulously thought out design. 
Oh man @mijostyn AJ rolling in his grave about the Calibrator? That is hysterical..Ok, no Calibrator Base.

Great suspension etc. but the Cosmos is one of the most unassuming, unimpressive t.t.’s I’ve seen. And I hate paying a premium for wood finishes. I’d rather put that money towards a tonearm. Despite my objections, it is a great t.t. and I like the dustcover option.

My Sound Anchors rack weighs 300 pounds. You could drill for oil next to it and it wouldn’t move a fraction of a millimeter. Does that allow me some wiggle room to buy a cooler looking t.t. who’s suspension might not be as great as the SOTA’s?

The Schroeder tonearm looks very well made. Very promising...The CB-1 is about $5,0000. As far as your comment about SOTA tonearms(and the Schroeder), aren’t you better off with a 9" than a 12" due to stiffness etc.? Or with carbon fiber and wood it is not as much a concern?...I’ve never seen a wood tonearm before. I think either Touraj from Vertere stole the DG tonearm shape from the Schroeder BA or Schroeder stole the shape of his BA from the DG.  Or I could be wrong.

The Vertere SG-1 tonearm is also carbon fiber and looks like the Schroeder’s but it’s $2350. I bet that email acquaintance really has the Vertere Reference tonearm....
I’ve been told by Basis dealers and others that with a great tonearm, you can downgrade a bit on the turntable.

In all cases, I need to upgrade my phono drive. The Manley Chinook for $2700? I have solid state pre amp and amps.... I’m not sure a Herron VPTH2A tube phono stage would jive.

I hope to have my Basis 2001/RB900/Benz Wood M2 up and running in a week to get a baseline. Do I need to buy an LP of RHCP’s BSSM :)? I’ve got the CD but.......