Just to add to the discussion, I have an ART20, VTF 1.8 grams, mounted in my SME 3009 series II improved with fixed head shell. It never occurred to me that this was outside of design parameters until I read this thread. FWIW, it works just fine as verified both sonically and by measurement using AnalogMagik.
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How is your ART20 outside of design parameters? It's perfect - Dual Moving Coil Stereo Cartridge | AT-ART20 | Audio-Technica | Audio-Technica. The VTF is fine and although the effective stylus mass is not known, I am quite sure that it follows common design practices and is down around 0.3-mg. |
Mathematics and probability. A cartridge stylus accurately tracking at 1.5 grams wears the groove incrementally over time. A cartridge stylus accurately tracking at 3 grams wears the groove incrementally over time. Friction produces heat and wear, more so if there is no lubrication. Which of the two above examples would produce the most friction? Mathematically and in all probability if both styli have the same profile, the one tracking a record at 3 grams. |
That particular version of the SME 3009 tonearm, the Series II improved with fixed head shell, has calibrations for Vertical Tracking Force (VTF) which max out at 1.5-grams. The calibrations for anti-skating match the VTF ones, one for one. It is easy enough to increase the VTF by screwing the main balance weight forwards, using a stand-alone scale to set the VTF, but then you run out of calibrations for SME’s anti-skating contraption, at least in theory. The simplest way out is to obtain a heavier anti-skating weight and mentally recalibrate what the string positions mean! Bill’s VTF is only 0.3-grams high, and my AT cartridge is 0.5-grams high. I certainly would not attempt to run an SPU cartridge in this particular species of SME 3009 tonearm. |
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