FWIW I went from a Rega RB300 to Technoarm to SME V (didn’t blow me away) to PU7 (did make me smile so it stayed).
I like the RB300 on a Gyro better than on the other decks I tried it on (a Thorens and a Rega) - it does seem to be a good match. OP already has a Nima, which I thought worked well: the Gyro offers clarity and neutrality, allowing the Nima’s strengths to shine. Bit soft on the attack though. I found a Funk FX-R to be a big step up. Stopped looking after that.
This was the magazine favourite back in the day, for sure. Given the price, it wants to be good.SME V
The 1 and 2 use the yoke and (upgraded) bearings, and substitute a very different (non-detachable) wand. No resemblance in terms of sound signature, to my ears.The 3 is all-original.From what I understand the FX-R is based on a rega arm??? Or am I misunderstanding something
Under the current conditions a telephone line is the easiest part of any business to maintain.I’ve heard a fair few, & the Michell Tecnoarm unsurprisingly works extremely well. Mate of mine has one with a Lyra Delos & to me, it just makes music. Bass, detail, imaging, top end, et al, it does it all extremely well. Unless you’re happy to spend considerably more, I’d stick with that.
The SME IV or V would probably be the ultimate arm, but you can’t buy them new anymore.
I’ve got an Orbe with an Ekos (left over from my LP12 days) & I’ve felt no need to change that combo. So I guess there are a wide variety of options that can work. As others have said, think about the arm & cart as a combination rather than 2 separate items.
I’ve also found Michell to be very helpful with tech advice in the past, although under current conditions, I don’t know whether the phone lines are still as well manned.