What Does It Take To Surpass A SME V?

@dogberry It is no secret I attend a HiFi Group, there is within this Group, approx' 200 years of combined experience with HiFi.

The Group is made up of long term enthusiasts, a retired dealer in Hi End HiFi,    an active Dealer, who has a range of Hi End HiFi, an EE who designs and builds.

Most members also have Educational Upbringing that belongs to the upper echelons in a society, (quite different from my own). They are experienced in Live Orchestra, Live Choir, Live Opera and the Group in general are regularly at a Live Acoustic Performance or for a few seeing a Band.

The main venue for a meet due to the accommodating size of the listening room, and the familiarity with the system by all, is the home where the Standalone Arm Pod is in use. This TT set Up has been the source to demo' numerous devices to be added into a signal path over the past few years as well as be used for Platter Mat comparisons, Puck Comparisons, RCA Cable Comparisons.

Not at any time has it been suggested there is something amiss in the SQ as a result of the Standalone Arm Pod in use, there is only satisfaction and attraction to the performance of the TT>Arm>Cart' in use. Certainly no disappointment, 'what's that'.

Do you mean on the Analog Section of Audiogon, there might be a few who a long-time honed in their collusive activities, where there is the need to project an authority. Where this unfortunately results in the discoveries of endlessly contradictory statements, where the sands are always shifting in relation to their assumptions/presumptions that something is insufficient if they say it is.

@dogberry These Pods are going to be just fine as the minimum, in truth, they are most likely going to give you a experience that is totally satisfying.

The Base the Pod and TT share is a important consideration, it is best if it has a very stable property. There are numerous materials that are stable today.

The next consideration is how the Base managers energy transferred, either ambient or from the TT Operation. The road leads the Densified Wood once more for this a material that damps and dissipates energy to the desirable effect.

The link is one I posted very recently, it has a valuable demonstration, and shows where the Densified Wood reaches beyond earlier go to choices used by many.

As said once the impression is made if you want to experiment a little. If the use of a Densified Wood becomes a interest contact me.   

I was not referring to you, pindac.

Since you will have 2 really nice cartridges, an S tonearm with removable head-shells would be convenient. With SOTA, you have to be very careful that an arm will fit within the arm board, won't bump into the dust cover, and won't be over-weight for proper balancing of the suspension. My Fidelity Research FR64fx (S with removeable head shells) weighs ~ 2.2 lbs, and comes in just under that weight limit. It's a very nice match with SOTA Nova :) 

Of course when swapping head shells, VTA adjustment is a concern and most arms with on-the-fly VTA will be a difficult fit for SOTA. But in practice, the only cartridge I've yet encountered with a wildly different height than others is Van den Hul Colibri (much taller).

@dogberry I know 😎, the bait is laid.

I am totally adhered to the Rigid Coupling Methodology, I was offered a option to have a Armboard Machined, which I declined for the One Plinth Material only philosophy.

The individual offering me the option has chose the Machined Armboard Option to mount Two Tonearms up to 12". This is to be used with a TT>Tonearm Identical to my own go to TT Set Up, as well as a selection of other immediately available Tonearms.

Where the two above Plinths now separate further, is that the producers second owned TT of the same model, is now in a condition that is to be used with a P'holz Chassis, that will also mount Two Tonearms up to 12" 

Another TT owner, with the same family of TT, has as already made known, chosen a Standalone Tonearm Pod.

I get to be demo'd all methodologies and that is great for me and others who choose to be present when the demo's take place, no reason why one of the pair of owned Identical Tonearms don't end up on the Standalone Tonearm Pod, as two near usage identical Cart's are ready for this Trial, and will be used on all Tonearms being compared.

All philosophies for mounting a Tonearm are pretty much exposed to be subjectively assessed.

I am to be open minded, but as a initial thought on the upcoming trial, I really don't see much to be discovered if the TT Plinth, Chassis and Standalone Tonearm Pod are mounted with a same Tonearm>Cart on a Densified Wood Sub Plinth.

'Standalone Tonearm Pod' is looking such a lovely morsel to be picked at on the set Traps Plate.

Lets see which are those, whom choose to tell another how to mount their own Tonearms in conjunction with their own TT/TT's in their own Home.

Dear @neonknight  : Do you took a decision about?

R.