New Garrard Build

[airbearing]

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]

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

 

[jeff1225]

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.

 

[djsina2]

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]

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]

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!

 

[airbearing]

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

 

[PeterA]

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]

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.

 

[ddk]

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

 

[Maril555]

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]

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]

Could the difference between the arche headshell and a lighter "sme" style headshell be system dependent?

 

[airbearing]

Could the difference between the arche headshell and a lighter "sme" style headshell be system dependent?

Not really. It depends more on the tonearm and the cart you are using, light MMs or heavier MCs.

best
E.

www.AudioCirc.com

 

[airbearing]

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:

 

[airbearing]

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

 

[Addicted to hifi]

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.

beautiful classic.

 

[assessor43]

Not really. It depends more on the tonearm and the cart you are using, light MMs or heavier MCs.

best
E.

www.AudioCirc.com

Oh, thats what I meant.

 

[jeff1225]

Than

beautiful classic.

Thank you, I’m very happy with the way it turned out both visually and sonically.

 

[spiritofmusic]

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.