Tonearm Suggestions For Technics Sp15 Under 5k

Check out SME!
https://sme.co.uk/audio/arms/

@dover Excellent.

IMO, there are a LOT of table / arm combos for less than $5000 NEW, much less on the used market.

@chakster Your suggestions are performance / quality mismatches. On that particular table, a better Jelco arm would be most satisfactory and perform up to, and likely beyond the capabilities of the table.

@bpoletti the OP actually asked for tonearm under 5k, not a turntable, but you’re all talking about turntables now. Technics Sp-15 or SP-20 are not bad at all, the SP-10mkII is much better.

Reed and Sp-10mkII is a perfect combination
Vicor UA-7045 and SP-15 or SP-20 is a perfect combination

I think tonearm and cartridge is much more important than a difference between Technics Direct Drive models, they are all stable and very good.

Victor UA-7045 is much better than Jelco, especially for high compliance cartridges. Don’t forget that UA-7045 was top Victor’s arm for TT-101 turntable. I would like to add that Victor cartridges are oustanding too compared to any modern cars MM or MC.

People always advice Jelco because they know nothing about Victor or most of the vintage tonearms. "A better Jelco arm" is a myth, bacause it’s not better arm at all. It’s just an affordable good modern tonearm, Jeclo making arm for Ortofon as well.

Another beautiful modern tonearm is Thomas Schick "12 for low compliance cartridges, affordable price, why everyone should stick with that Jelco ???

Our Don Griffith compared UA-7045 to Lustre GST-801, everyone can find his posts on audiogon. Victor 7045 or 7082 are the most underrated tonearms ever, very cheap to buy, pure gems! Easy to adjust, brilliant, ellegant, top quality, i’m not sure you have ever touched it, because once you do you can understand how good it is. I’m not trying to say it will compete with 5 000 Euro Reed tonearm, but compared to Jelco the Victor is amazing.

@chakster Just because the OP asked about arms doesn’t mean we shouldn't place the use of that device in the context of the implementation.

After reading a number of your comments, you seem to undermine your credibility with disconnected verbosity. And there is no possible way you have the kind of experience you claim.

not sure what do you mean @bpoletti , but i’m talking about the goods i own or owned before in my system. I’m tying to advice something original, not a mainstream items, but always according to the price point and top quality performance of the goods (imo).

Anyway for lazy users i will put Don Griffith’s quote right here about his JVC/Victor 7045, Lustre 801 and Graham 2.2 tonearms. The JVC/Victor UA-7045 dusted his Graham 2.2, see below: 

I must admit, I was also surprised at just how good the JVC is. In many regards, it is quite similar to the Lustre. Both have VTF adjustment on the fly. Both, removal head shells. Both have exceptional bearings.....

I did a search to determine what others were using with that table and to see what was recommended by JVC. That 7045 was/is JVC’s top arm and considering it was ’the’ arm during the legendary production run of both the TT-81 and the TT-101, I went looking for one. Just so happens that ’Foxtan’ had a good one available so I bought it. I now consider that an even better decision than the actual purchase of the TT-81.
Lewm, you are wondering how much do I really like the JVC 7045. Let me put it to you this way. And I am being quite honest when I state this. I am considering selling my Graham 2.2 and mounting the JVC 7045 in its place on the VPI Aries table. Those two tables (the VPI Aries and the JVC TT-81) would have excellent arms on each of them with removable head shells. This would allow the mounting of low compliant cartridges to high complaint cartridges when ever I wanted. No arm changing required. No ’wondering’ if a higher mass or lower mass arm would be a better match. Performance wise, I would loose nothing. All three of the mentioned arms are 5 star arms in my opinion. But I gain in versatility.
The biggest problem in all of this is the selling of the Graham. to do this is to me like selling my beloved dog to a stranger! It is going to be a tough thing to do. I’m the original owner and have had that arm for many years. The selling of the dog I couldn’t do. But selling the Graham? I definitely leaning that way!

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/tonearm-recommendation?page=6