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Top 5 Tonearms Newer or Vintage Under 2500 That Will Beat anything above/below 2.5k?

From all your tonearm experiences trials errors comparisons etc is there a Top 5 tonearm list that are known for their musical superlatives in all music ranges and genres? including finer detail nuances feeling, 3d sound but also deep bass and midbass, basspunch. Airy highs. And importantly long hours listening without fatigue.
The criteria also to be met are easy setups for all angles vta vfa azimuth anti skating etc 
The Tonearm must also the ability to use more than just one or two cartridge compatibility.

Probable Turntables to be Used: Garrard 301/401, Lenco, Linn, Thorens 124, Technics 1100 1200 10 or 15. 

Heres the list i compiled of ToneArms to pick from.
Feel free to mention others.

  • Tw Raven, D Talea, Graham 2.2/phantom, Moerch, Origin Live, Vpi, 
  • AudioMods

  • Clear Audio, Stax, Rega, Technics 500/1000, Sumiko, Alphason, Black Widow, One unipivot, Saec, Clear Audio, Basis Vector, Triplanar

  • Origin Silver, Rega 9, Linn Ittok, Project, Technics 500/1000,
  •  Alphason, Audio Technica, Dynavector 507

    Grace, Mission, Grado, Ortofon, EMT, Thorens Tp,
  • ESL, Sme 3012, Sme 3009, Sme V, IV,

  • Schroeder, Kuzma, Eminent, Ikeda, Breuer, 
    Stax, Kenwood 007 arm, Sonys top Arm, Artemis
vinny55

Showing 6 responses by terry9

terry9
2,210 posts
 
Trans-Fi Terminator. I suspect the greatest bargain in audio at $1K. Uses standard parts and clever engineering instead of intricate machining.

Air bearing, adjustable, repeatable, made to mod. What's not to like?
terry9
2,210 posts
 
@dgarretson 

About the low vertical mass of the Trans-Fi, I use two work-arounds: first, instead of using mounting nuts on the top of the wand, I have a disc of brass alloy C770 (quite hard, half copper, quarter nickel, quarter zinc) with holes tapped for stainless screws. That adds 5 grams, IIRC. Second, I add brass weights by fitting them into the arm wand holes. Lets my Koetsu track well at 2.1 grams or so.
terry9
2,210 posts
 
Quite right on both counts.
terry9
2,210 posts
 
@vinny55 

Yes, the Trans-Fi is an air bearing tonearm, a low pressure tonearm. I have two of them, both of them on tables costing 10x that much. They run at pressures of 10 to 40 mm of mercury (0.2 to 0.8 psi) using an aquarium pump and a precision regulator.
terry9
2,210 posts
 
@ct0517 

Your interpretation of the Trans-Fi website is accurate. Sorry if I misled you.
terry9
2,210 posts
 
@harold-not-the-barrel 

Hello Harold. Just saw your post. I don't like the idea of a nylon interface where I could have a metal-to-metal contact, because I tend to prefer the latter. So I haven't tried the nylon pivot screws.

Cartridges are Koetsu RSP and Miyajima Zero.
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