Schroeder Model 2


My latest addition in the never ending pursuit of audio nirvana is the Schroeder Model 2. A string suspended arm, held in place and damped by 2 strong neodium magnets. The arm wand is made of carbon fibre with Cardas wiring from the cartridge clips all the way to the phono RCAs - no breaks which is a good thing.

In order to mount it onto my Kuzma, I had an acrylic armboard custom made with the drill holes for the Rega mount, 222mm from spindle to pivot. Once installed, VTA is adjusted via a screw on the arm pillar and can be further fine tuned by adjusting the gap between the 2 magnets. I alined the cartridge using my trusted DB Protractor. Azimuth is adjusted via the counter weight. Tracking force was not so easy as minor shifts of the counter weight changes both the TF and azimuth. The weight was heavy enough to be placed very near to the pivot point.

In terms of sound reproduction, this was definitely an upgrade from the Kuzma Stogi Reference, which is an excellent arm in its own right. But the Schroeder's lack of bearings and mechanical noise just floated the soundstage. The main difference was in the speed of the arm. Dynamics, pace and timing were excellent, resulting in less smearing of the music, and consequently reveiling more low level detail, even at the back of the soundstage. The soundstage also seems to be both wider and deeper, with fine laying. The highs, especially cymbals were pristine, while bass notes were both deeper and tighter in definition.

At the end of the day, I stopped analyzing the music and just enjoyed it. This raises the bar for all high end tonearms.
cmk
I, too, heard a Schroeder2 and loved it. It was beyond my budget, though, and I was forced to pass. Know you will contiune to enjoy that arm.
Thanks for the info. Here's a website with pictures. They state that the model 2 is the entry level tonearm with two arms higher up. They all sound (and look) very interesting.
Hmmm, after looking at the pictures, I see that it was indeed the Model 1 to which I had a listen at a local audio shop. Anyone here the 2 in comparison to the 1?
4yanx, the key difference between the 2 and the 1 is the use of wood for the armwand. That would give the music a fuller/rounder sound. The carbon fibre arm is very fast and dynamic. Construction is similar, built to very high standards. Both the model 2 and the reference use a single suspended string, while the model 1 uses 2 strings. Have not heard/seen the model 1 though. Will let you know once I have the opportunity.
do you think the model 1 would mount on a goldmund refernce as even the linn ittock iam using is better than the dreadfull goldmund t3f that ihave been using for years, i would require a new armboard as iam not keen on holes being bored in the goldmund armboard any suggestions anyone.