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low mass tone arm suggestion sub $1k used

I’m adding another tone arm to my Garrard table. looking for a low mass arm 9" or 10", preferably with out the wires going through the bottom of the arm mount but not critical. I’d like to spend less then $1k used (I may stretch that for a quality used-new arm if a great deal lets say max $2k). This is not for supper critical listening I just want a low mass option for random low mass carts, I may run my older VDH MC 10 on it for example. I have a 12" Jelco 750L as my main arm but I don’t think the Jelco arms are particularly light enough for the low mass carts out there. So any suggestions used or new for that matter would be appreciated.
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chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
This my ex Luxman TA-1 lighweight tonearm for high compliance cartridges. The armwand is removable like one big headshell. This tonearm made by Micro Seiki and it’s way better than Infinity Black Widow for example. I’ve been using Luxman TA-1 with Stanton SC-100 WOS cartridges exclussively with great result. The arm is very rare, especially with its superheavy tonearm stabilizer.

I must say the Denon DA-401 is also a great quality lightweight tonearm, the only limitation is its headshell which can not be replaced with any conventional headshell. It would be nice to have at least a few shells for DA-401 to swap the cartridges, but i have only one. Luckily the tonearm is NOS in the box. 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@bimasta 

 I did use the EPA-500 for awhile, with the lightest armwand. I adored the design, less so the sound. Had some ’golden ear’ friends over — I had it set up alongside an SME 3009/II, playing identical cartridges, and all preferred the SME.  

I've heard that EPA-100 is better than EPA-500. 
The best one and the most expensive is EPA-100 mkII 
best-groove's avatar
best-groove
831 posts
 
I’ve heard that EPA-100 is better than EPA-500


maybe it’s just more versatile and does not need to change the barrels depending on the head.

Bearings and tolerances for mg.are the same for both.
gvoth
32 posts
 
Home project! Make your own Well Tempered style Simplex arm with a carbon fiber wand thru whole golf ball or or Amadeus-style arm with wand thru cap on top of half golf ball. Considered medium mass and handles a slew of different cartridges - add silicon fluid to the pot to control damping as needed. I made mine by hand and 3d printed a good many of the parts with a FlashForge Finder using PLA+ HatchBox filament. I cut brass rod, delrin rod, bent aluminum cut from a thin sheet for finger lift, etc. I made a 9" for my Braun PCS5 idler and a 10.75" for my Neat Shield MO-19 idler. Wires exit out the rear of the base... no drilling the plinth.
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