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Good arms for catridge swappers

Yeah I have VPI and like it (12.5) have thought of Graham 2.2 or Phantom.But wondering what others might be out their that have good sound and can sawp without thiking a fortnight.Guess I would like to try something other than uni-pivot arm and not break bank.Think that (and maybe wrong) one is better with arm tube swap as opposed to head shell for speed of change and rigidity.Have thought of SME 309 being good contender but assuming (maybe wrongly) that contact break farther down arm tube is better.The good multi arm decks seem to be pretty pricey and cost of full assembly of arm is not as cost efficient/.Yeah maybe one day I will have enough $$$ for a TW Raven etc but not now.Also many choices on list of possible phono might have only one input.Like anybody to chime in on how important mono cart in PRACTICE has been though I have read the therory.But have many mono jazz LP's.re-issues more and more give you that option.Less so on pre or phono front but thinking that maybe some phase issues or something I haven't thought about would make this better down the line.One plus for cheaper head shell it would allow not only for a good stereo and mono option but also allow for one cheaper "beater" cart.Setup by myself or pro is another factor.Yet thinking that I see many good pieces from all price points that allow for mono option and given number of LP's this should be way to go.Thoughts broadly on subject welcome.
Cheers
Chazz
chazzbo
likecap's avatar
likecap
44 posts
 
I highly recommend Moerch / Morch UP4 or DP6 tonearms. You can have multiple, easily replaced armwands for each cartridge you have. You can also use the appropriate armwand weight to get the best sound out of your cartridge.
t_bone
1,182 posts
 
I tend to agree that the right armwand collet chuck is going to be better than the standard headshell mount. Finding a removable armwand arm which is not a unipivot might be a tough one (the Micro Seiki MA 505 Mk3 would work). That said, there are plenty of fantastic arms with removable headshells.

The one I might go for is a Technics EPA-100. It is flexible enough to use low-ish compliance carts all the way up to very high compliance carts. The one thing it cannot handle by itself is things like heavy-weight FR carts (unless you buy the optional counterweight add-on weight, which is rare as hens' teeth) but it is super-flexible in its use.

I like my mono cart. It may however be more a like of mono records than actually loving my mono cart.
bpoletti
1,525 posts
 
The MA-505 is a good choice. VTA on the fly, removable headshell with a built-in stylus overhang locator, easy VTF adjustment. Some people say it betters the DP-4. I haven't made the comparison.

My opinion would lean toward the Micro Seiki MA-707. Has removable headshell and variable effective mass. Easy to tune the arm to the optimum resonance frequency. Very easy to set tracking force (just balance the arm and dial in the VTF). VTA can be set manually. IMO, it's more difficult to adjust effective mass than VTA.
dgarretson
2,588 posts
 
If you are open to a linear arm, the latest iteration of Trans-Fi Terminator has arm swaps down to a T. Separate flat wand/counterweight assemblies can be swapped in minutes, requiring only readjustment of VTA to get going. The same external wiring harness is reclipped to the replacement wand. Unlike arms with detachable headshells or tubes, this one is uncompromised by mechanical junctions, and like some of the best arms these days, the included silver wire harness runs uninterrupted from cartridge to phono stage.
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