New Garrard Build

airbearing

Well-Known Member
May 2, 2012
231
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335
Munich - Germany
Best headshell for the SME tonearms was and still is the SME headshell. You’ll know it if you mounted the same cartridge in the SME headshell and then compared it back to back with of the other ones. Of course proper setup and specially accurate VTA is key to this comparison.

Why? I find the unmodified SME headshells better than anything else I tried over the years in the SME tonearms. The SME 30xx is a complete system designed ground up including its phono cable and headshell, obviously you can change things substituting other components but all you get is a change and always worse IME.

david
David,
everything here was trimmed down to low weight. This SME headshell is extremely packed with resonance issues. It is not stiff and the quality regarding energy-transfer-speed is pretty lousy. It was developed for the MM-carts with low weight and high compliance.

I assume you are not using MC carts in this headshell?

best
E.

www.AudioCirc.com
 

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
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Utah
David,
everything here was trimmed down to low weight. This SME headshell is extremely packed with resonance issues. It is not stiff and the quality regarding energy-transfer-speed is pretty lousy. It was developed for the MM-carts with low weight and high compliance.

I assume you are not using MC carts in this headshell?

best
E.

www.AudioCirc.com
Dear Eckart,
I don't know about full of resonance but compared to all the other wood, steel, cf, ceramic and aluminum ones I tried I find the 3012+S2 combination the most neutral, natural and liveliest. CF & wooden headshells dampen too much and IMO kill the sound and the lighter aluminum ones lacked bottom end and and bloom. The same with heavy headshells like the Arche, too dead, and damp mass without any benefit. Vinyl playback is all about resonance and resonance control dampening with mass and materials is loss of information and life.

As far as I know the history of 3012+S2 headshell and tied to the history of mc cartridges.

David
 
Last edited:

djsina2

Well-Known Member
May 30, 2019
1,125
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View attachment 80883

the Garrard is finally complete with the addition of a milled solid aluminum platter. With the VDH cartridge on the front arm and the SPU A95 on the rear arm, I have two cartridges to satisfy all types of music.
Do you only enable anti skate with the VDH at certain times? I see it’s off in that pic.
 

jeff1225

Well-Known Member
Jan 29, 2012
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Do you only enable anti skate with the VDH at certain times? I see it’s off in that pic.
I’m experimenting with antiskate. IMO it should be engaged at the number that coincides with the VTF.
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
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Beverly Hills, CA
View attachment 80883

the Garrard is finally complete with the addition of a milled solid aluminum platter. With the VDH cartridge on the front arm and the SPU A95 on the rear arm, I have two cartridges to satisfy all types of music.

Congratulations on a very well thought out and great-sounding set-up!
 
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airbearing

Well-Known Member
May 2, 2012
231
102
335
Munich - Germany
Dear Eckart,
I don't know about full of resonance but compared to all the other wood, steel, cf, ceramic and aluminum ones I tried I find the 3012+S2 combination the most neutral, natural and liveliest. CF & wooden headshells dampen too much and IMO kill the sound and the lighter aluminum ones lacked bottom end and and bloom. The same with heavy headshells like the Arche, too dead, and damp mass without any benefit. Vinyl playback is all about resonance and resonance control dampening with mass and materials is loss of information and life.

As far as I know the history of 3012+S2 headshell and tied to the history of mc cartridges.

David
Dear David,
i have the SME headshell you are happy with. I used it with my 3012 first edition steel arm. I guess it is the best SME arm ever built being useable for X (EMT) and SME connections. I exchanged the SME headshell with the latest Arche L headshell. When you hear the difference regarding resonance it is quite a number. I also used a Japanese headshell made of hard wood, this one was about 1000 USD, built on demand. Very exciting! With my 20 arms and some more headshells for my over 100 systems I got a good assessment on pretty well functioning matches. Of course it makes fun but also work testing and exchanging all combinations.

so lets go on and never stay still…

Eckart

www.AudioCirc.com
 
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PeterA

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Dec 6, 2011
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View attachment 80883

the Garrard is finally complete with the addition of a milled solid aluminum platter. With the VDH cartridge on the front arm and the SPU A95 on the rear arm, I have two cartridges to satisfy all types of music.

That's one fine looking turntable Jeff. I look forward to hearing it in your system one day. Congratulations again.
 

PeterA

Well-Known Member
Dec 6, 2011
12,521
10,687
3,515
USA
I’m experimenting with antiskate. IMO it should be engaged at the number that coincides with the VTF.

vdH recommends 0.25-0.35g for antiskate with my two low output Grand Cru cartridges. VTF is 1.38-1.4g. The SME 3012R's lowest bias setting is 0.5g so I use that. The sound was not as good at 1.25 or 1.5g bias. Perhaps your vdH Colibri is different.
 
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ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
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I’m experimenting with antiskate. IMO it should be engaged at the number that coincides with the VTF.
Normally that’s how you go with the 3012-R unless a different setting is specified by the cartridge manufacturer, vdH is very specific with their anti-skate recommendations best to stick with it.

david
 
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Maril555

Well-Known Member
Jun 26, 2014
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Dear David,
i have the SME headshell you are happy with. I used it with my 3012 first edition steel arm. I guess it is the best SME arm ever built being useable for X (EMT) and SME connections. I exchanged the SME headshell with the latest Arche L headshell. When you hear the difference regarding resonance it is quite a number. I also used a Japanese headshell made of hard wood, this one was about 1000 USD, built on demand. Very exciting! With my 20 arms and some more headshells for my over 100 systems I got a good assessment on pretty well functioning matches. Of course it makes fun but also work testing and exchanging all combinations.

so lets go on and never stay still…

Eckart

www.AudioCirc.com
Would you be able to comment on the difference b/w SME headshell and Arche and Japanese ones?
Thank you.
 

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
4,040
995
Utah
Dear David,
i have the SME headshell you are happy with. I used it with my 3012 first edition steel arm. I guess it is the best SME arm ever built being useable for X (EMT) and SME connections. I exchanged the SME headshell with the latest Arche L headshell. When you hear the difference regarding resonance it is quite a number. I also used a Japanese headshell made of hard wood, this one was about 1000 USD, built on demand. Very exciting! With my 20 arms and some more headshells for my over 100 systems I got a good assessment on pretty well functioning matches. Of course it makes fun but also work testing and exchanging all combinations.

so lets go on and never stay still…

Eckart

www.AudioCirc.com
Dear Eckart,
You can definitely hear the difference between Arche and SME headshells and we're both aware of the custom Japanese audio products and how they use woods to tweak the sound. What we're talking about here might be a difference in preference, I'm just not a fan of the very heavy Arche headshell or the Axiom tonearms which I know that you like.

david
 

assessor43

Well-Known Member
Nov 1, 2018
312
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Could the difference between the arche headshell and a lighter "sme" style headshell be system dependent?
 

airbearing

Well-Known Member
May 2, 2012
231
102
335
Munich - Germany
Would you be able to comment on the difference b/w SME headshell and Arche and Japanese ones?
Thank you.
Maril555,
will do, I am just in a new testing phase to give you my momentary impression.
just wait a little.
here are the testing candidates:
 

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airbearing

Well-Known Member
May 2, 2012
231
102
335
Munich - Germany
Dear Eckart,
You can definitely hear the difference between Arche and SME headshells and we're both aware of the custom Japanese audio products and how they use woods to tweak the sound. What we're talking about here might be a difference in preference, I'm just not a fan of the very heavy Arche headshell or the Axiom tonearms which I know that you like.

david
Dear David,
I know, but you also know that there are other assessments out there, Tango etc.
the Arche L is just 16g.

best
eckart

www.AudioCirc.com
 

spiritofmusic

Well-Known Member
Jun 13, 2013
14,601
5,411
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Jeffrey, I'm a big fan of idlers and de facto vintage TTs. But I still remain amazed this build not only beats a "fully loaded", overengineered, and commensurately pricey, modern belt drive, but according to you, beats it significantly. That really is something.
 

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