Tonearm Recommendations for Benz-Micro LP S

Ron Resnick

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I think that in general Benz-Micro cartridges are not terribly picky about the tonearms on which they are mounted.

I had a Benz-Micro Ruby 2 on a Graham 2.2 for many years, and I was very happy with the combination. I would think that a Graham Phantom Elite would be a very good match with the LP S.

The LP S at 16 grams is an unusually heavy cartridge.

Has anyone had direct experience comparing an LP S on a high effective mass tonearm versus on a low/medium effective mass tonearm?

With which tonearms have owners of the Benz-Micro LP S had the best sonic results?
 

DaveyF

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I have heard the LPS MR on a TriPlanar arm...very nice combo. Seems that a Triplanar is not that much in favor these days, but IMO it is still one of the best arms available.
Like you said, Benz’s are not particularly picky as to the arm...so just about any good arm should work well.
 

jazdoc

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I had good luck with the Durand Telos.
 

Solypsa

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I set one up one a Basis Vector and it sounded good. For a higher mass cart it has a relatively high compliance...
 

Ron Resnick

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Basis Audio now makes a Superarm 12.5!
 

Marcus

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I used Triplanar/LPS combo for years and it was a wonderful combination. Then I bought Kuzma 4Point and performance went to another level. Now, I’m using 4Point14 and I still don’t feel the need for something else. Well, perhaps CAR60 could push me further if it wouldn’t be so expensive. From experience of my friends with different models I can say, LPS works extremely well with majority of Kuzma tonearms including AirLine.
 

gian60

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Italian Basis distributor told me that Basis did superarm 12.5 but for them the best sound is always superarm 9
 

Ron Resnick

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I used Triplanar/LPS combo for years and it was a wonderful combination. Then I bought Kuzma 4Point and performance went to another level. Now, I’m using 4Point14 and I still don’t feel the need for something else. Well, perhaps CAR60 could push me further if it wouldn’t be so expensive. From experience of my friends with different models I can say, LPS works extremely well with majority of Kuzma tonearms including AirLine.

Thank you for posting your experience. Would you please describe in as much detail as you care to how sonically the 4Point improved upon the Triplanar?
 

bonzo75

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From whatever I have read of the triplanar, the arm can be tweaked forever and there are a lot of tricks. Doug deacon who has been a long time zyx champion on the Gon owns it and loves it. He prefers the Talea more though.
 

jackelsson

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Hi Ron,

my first LP-S a few years back ran beautifully in an Origin Live Conqueror Mk.3C. The combination of the OL Conqeuror with its highly dampened armwand and the lush Benz made for a very colourful and musical combination.

My current, second LP-S is mounted in one of my TW-Acustic 10.5 arms and this also is a beautiful match. The TW with its undampened metal armtube gives the LP-S a lot of slam on top of the tone and colour. I really love this combination and can only highly recommend it.

I would really like to try out one day how the LP-S works with my current 12" Origin Live Enterprise C which has an even stronger dampened arm tube than its lesser sibling. Unfortunately the Enterprise C has an effective mass of 21g which together with the Benz' compliance of 15 µm/mN would bring the resonance frequency down to ca. 6,7 Hz. Not exactly ideal.
 

advanced101

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I had a newer LPS. Tried it on a VPI 3D 10", VPI 12" 3DR & Ikeda 407. I liked it best on the 10" VPI 3D (Sig Wiring). Required the 200g CW typically used on the 12" arms.
 

Ron Resnick

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Thank you for posting your experience. Would you please describe in as much detail as you care to how sonically the VPI 10” improved upon the Ikeda 407?
 

advanced101

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Thank you for posting your experience. Would you please describe in as much detail as you care to how sonically the VPI 10” improved upon the Ikeda 407?

I felt the cartridge was more controlled and the sound was more fleshed out with the 3D, especially the mids. It was the perfect balance of sound for me. The 12" 3D made the cart too dark sounding and the Ikeda made the cart sound more bright. Given the chance I would have liked to try it with the Tri-Planar. I would predict that to be a good match. Comparisons on VPI Avenger.
 

Ron Resnick

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Has anyone mounted an LP S on s Kuzma 4Point 14” (effective mass of 19g)?
 

Marcus

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Thank you for posting your experience. Would you please describe in as much detail as you care to how sonically the 4Point improved upon the Triplanar?
FWIW, going from Triplanar to 4Point was THE biggest improvement I made to my system. Ever. It was more profound then, for instance, going from conrad-johnson CT5 to GAT, from Avalon Eidolon Diamond to Time or from conrad-johnson Premier 15 to Zanden 1200 Mk2 phono stage or...you get the picture. Comparing to 4Point, Triplanar on Kuzma XL sounds dated, old or vintage of you want. The midrange is considerably less transparent and detailed, bass can not be even be compared, the speed, dynamics and the resolution capabilities of 4Point is on a much higher level. We also compared these two tonearms on Kuzma Stabi Reference but diferences were not so clearly revealed. I wouldn’t say the reason for such results is in some kind of synergy as 4Point gets superior ratings in a very different analogue combinations all over the world.
 

Marcus

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Tango

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FWIW, going from Triplanar to 4Point was THE biggest improvement I made to my system.

When you put top level arm in your tt setup, you will realize what Marcus said is no exaggeration.

Tang
 

DaveyF

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I don’t own a Triplanar, but I think it is almost always unfairly slammed on numerous forums...including this one.
The current version is a way different sounding arm than the one that Herb Papier brought to the market back in the day.
I have several a’phile friends who own various itinerations of this arm, all sound quite different to me. As you get closer to today’s model, the propensity for the arm to be a little veiled diminishes...to what I now hear as totally neutral.
If someone prefers a 4 Point to the current and latest edition Triplanar arm...which BTW has a couple of different versions itself....including a 12” with carbon fiber wand; I would suspect that the Triplanar was mismatched with the table and not correctly set up. There are numerous adjustments to this arm, such that someone with set up expertise can get it totally dialed in. If someone is interested in this superb arm, I would recommend a conversation with Tri Mai first, I’m sure he would be able to give you some very educated advice.
 

TUBEY

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I have installed a LP-S MR on a friend's SME 312S on his TW Acoustics 3-motor turntable and the result is really good.
 

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