A Thought Exercise: Consolidating Analog To One Table and Two Cartridges

Without experiencing through demonstration any of the suggestions that are to be made and even the TT you have put a Link to, a lot will be left to conjecture.

There will be difficulties met in being totally reassured the exchanges being considered for the Source will be a better performance, aesthetically there might be much more attraction to be found.

Aesthetics can be a substantial cost during the design process and will be reflected in the final retail price and used sale price.

Attractive aesthetics are no guarantee of a finesse in the performance of a device.

You have Cart's and Tonearms readily available to go through a selection process.

That side of the elimination will prove easier to satisfy yourself, and it already looks like the Cart' considerations are made and the keepers are selected. 

Tonearms can perform superbly on one TT, making a really positive impression and can be discovered as working not to the same impression on another.

As a suggestion, it would make sense to keep the Tonearms at hand until the TT situation is dealt with, as a owned Tonearm might excel when attached to a different TT 'if purchased' . 

If you are wedded to your Schroder CB1L you could easily fit a new Kuzma R into your budget. Other options second hand would be Brinkmann or others.

Alternately, given the Sota Cosmos is a very good TT why not keep the Sota and buy a new arm with a removable headshell - two very good options are the Kuzma 4Point9 and the Glanz. In both instances you would have an arm in which you can swap cartridges in minutes ( assuming you buy extra headshells and have each cartridge pre set up on headshell ).

Cartridge swapping would be much easier on the second option.

Glanz have a Interference Fit Headshell Design, I regularly am witnessing the Glanz 12" Model in use with a DD TT and can't detect anything perceptible as unattractive during all of the experiences.

I have been demonstrated a working concept for a Interference Fit design used as a re-design for the SME Bayonet Type and the improvement was extreme in the movement department toward a betterment, when compared A/B to the original version.

I am intrigued by Kuzma as TT design, I have not investigated their Tonearms in the same manner I have their TT's or certain other Tonearms.

I myself have the exchangeable Headshell Option and it is one I do not intend on being without.  

I vote for single table with 2 arms on it, or 1 base with interchangeable arm wands:

most active cartridge on main arm, 2nd arm with removable headshell for favorite ’other’. any cartridge, including your visiting friends.

2nd arm, already correct for current VTA, tracking force, anti-skate.

Switch headshell, (overhang and null points done): adjust tracking force and anti-skate (easy, I use blank LP to watch anti-skate, quick and accurate).

The issue is VTA. My second arm has easy VTA. On the Fly isn’t the object, quick and easy arm height for any cartridge is the point.

In my case, I squeezed a 3rd arm on, with a MONO cartridge pre-mounted, ready to swap back and forth Stereo/Mono/Other cartridge ... i.e. Oscar Peterson, short pile of LP’s, oh, this one’s mono, ...

IMPLEMENTATION of multiple arms:

I chose a Vintage Fidelity Research SUT, FRT-4, this one is in nice shape

 

Notice: 3 front selectable inputs, one output remains into your Phono Stage.

Optional settings for various MC cartridges

PASS for MM or High Output MC cartridges skips the innards of the SUT.

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You can see my 3 arm table here (8th photo):

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/9511

Mine is a JVC plinth designed for 2 arms, CLP-2

main arm, long one (mine blackbird from russia 12.5", fixed cartridge, set screw arm height, with attached micrometer for fine adjustment

http://newartvinyl.ru/board/detali_proigryvatelja/tonarm_black_bird12_5_5pin/7-1-0-53

 

2nd arm: removable headshell, VTA on the Fly, so easy, Acos Lustre GST-801, advantage, reasonably small base. Unique Magnetic forces.

They make an older GST-1, also easy VTA, but it needs a special cutout.

sold, but shows it well

 

3rd arm, fixed cartridge (I squeezed a 3rd arm on for mono). Mission 774LC (jelco), short rear balance section and small base (skip the plate, simple small round plate) to just fit when dust cover is on..

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https://www.vinylengine.com/library/mission/774lc.shtml

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I recently added it up, total cost including 3 cartridges: $5,500. Lot of work putting it together piece by piece, and my cartridges are nice but not pricey: MC: AT33PTG/II MM: existing Shure body V15Vxmr with new Jico SAS on boron. several alternates on headshells, ready to go MONO: Grado; and I had VAS rebuild an AT33PTG MONO body with advanced stylus, that will occasionally go on rear removable headshell arm.

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Other options I have seen/personally setup for friends:

single base with changeable arm wands, cartridges pre-mounted, easy VTA

Technics EPA-B500 base, magnificent engineering

https://www.vinylengine.com/library/technics/epa-500.shtml

straight fixed cartridge arm wand

s arm, removable headshell

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Steve’s, at VAS VPI with uni-pivot base, several ’lift off’ arms with cartridges pre-mounted

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Luxman PD-444 Two arm Table. Simple looking, but some very nice engineering involved.

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saw micro seiki 3 arm TT

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and recently discovered they make a 4 arm version ....1500

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I had no idea where I was going when I started, but with help here, and a bit of research, I ended up with my frankentable!

 

 

Of course, other higher end solutions exist, mine is my typical bargain hunter solution.