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tonearm upgrade, how far up the food chain?

I currently use a Rega RB 300 upgraded with the Origin Live structural mod (i.e. counterweight) and Incognito rewire. It's on a Thorens TD-850, Grado Statement Reference cartridge. Based on comments here on the Gon, many seem to feel that upgrading the arm should come before the cartridge or table, under the circumstances. How far up the ladder do I have to climb to get a noticeable improvement? And, do arms (that is, their bearings) really wear out, or their performance decline, with normal use? considering midlevel Origin Live arms, given the Rega mount. thanks in advance for suggestions.
128x128lloydc
nickt
172 posts
 
I think you should use this formula or close to it:
50% of budget to your table
25% for your arm
25% for your cartridge.
lloydc's avatar
lloydc OP
734 posts
 
it looks like I am already in the ballpark of the percentages referenced by Nickt. Phono stage is an AR PH3-SE modified by GNSC, which is not bad. Upgraded from an EAR 834P, which was a tremendous improvement.
macdadtexas
1,794 posts
 
try that really cool Terminator tangential arm, I want to know what it sounds like but I am afraid to try it first. It looks so cool.
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rauliruegas
12,781 posts
 
Dear Lloydc: IMHO you have a " so so " tonearm and a " so so " phono stage when you have a top rated Grado cartridge that is a great performer and a one that deserve the very best you can get on tonearm/phono stage if you want that the cartridge show you how good is in reality and that today IMHO it can't do it even if you change the TT.

The cartridge/tonearm IMHO is one product not two independent products, a cartridge must be mounted with a matching tonearm not with any tonearm but with the best match for it.
In the other side the phono stage is very critical link in the analog audio chain because is inside this " box " where the cartridge signal must pass to be processed not only to increment its output but to mate the inverse RIAA eq ncesary for a even frequency response, is in this phono stage where the cartridge signal " suffer " in true and where that signal is degraded maybe the most.

The Thorens 850 is a very " decent " TT and for the moment could makes a very good job.

Try to find a removable headshhel tonearm design and a phono stage that can handle ( with out setp up transformers. ) the 0.5mv of your Grado.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
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