[Ken Arrow]

Guys,

Just had to share somewhere.... I just took delivery of an SME IV tonearm I bought from Audiogon to install on my venerable Michell Gyrodec..

I am very excited. I have coveted this arm (or the SME V of course) for many years. It appears in top condition and comes with all the original packing and paraphenalia, now comes the nerve wracking installation and set up..

I do not really know what to expect soundwise except 'better'... I have no idea of the specific influence imparted to the final sound by my current arm - SME 3010R. All I know is that by reputation it should be a good match for the Gyro and its engineering is a class above.

I will try and get it dialled in and perhaps update my impressions.

Happy Days,


Ken

[JohnR]

Hi Ken, I can't really comment on the arm in particular as I don't know anything about it but I for one certainly welcome posts here from other vinyl enthusiasts Down Under. (From whom I hope I might learn!)

I think we Australians share a bit of a common dilemma compared to our pals in North America, things are just that much harder here. Congrats on the arm - please do post to let us know how it works out! (Or doesn't, it's all good.)

[bluesky]

Hi Ken

Fantastic!  Please let us know what happens after you fit the SMEIV arm, I think you have chosen very wisely and reckon the combination will be something very special indeed!

Bluesky

[Mr Content]

Awesome Ken, yes let us know how it goes, I have often looked at that arm, I have an FR 64x tonearm on my modded Linn. The SME looks lovely

Cheers Mr C aa

[bluesky]

The SME IV is the tonearm of my dreams and it is an engineering masterpiece with one exception which is the wiring.

Should I ever be able to afford one I would have it rewired with high quality silver tonearm wire in a single run from cartridge to RCA plug.  The arm uses head shell leads, then a DIN plug later on and finally onto the RCA's.  I have read several people stating that rewiring and doing away with several joints of the original improves the arm to near perfection.  It is my belief that the signal from the cartridge is so tiny that it needs all the help it can get, especially so when you use a low output moving coil cartridge which has mere millivolts of signal.

Bluesky