advertisement


Ortofon's MC Anna and 12" arms

Don't blame you for laying low, but any first impressions? Hopefully no one was injured lifting the turntable in place.

Hi John,

Yes, it was a struggle though. Initial impressions are extremely favourable, and my expectations have been vastly exceeded. Apparently, the bearing has to run-in for a month, so presumably there is even more to come.

If you are interested in the SME decks, go audition (or don't bother if you are anything like me). There's a very good reason for all the forum sniping.... ;-)

regards,
 
The 30 is much better than the 20. A signficant portion of that is due to the 20. I think you will be pleased compared with what you had before
 
El Buberino,

Yes, it was a struggle though. Initial impressions are extremely favourable, and my expectations have been vastly exceeded.
Where's the SME pron, man?

Joe
 
What is the SQ difference between IV and V? From what I can see it is just the better bearings (one set is the same) and the better arm wire? The rest is ease of adjustment related? Is there that much difference from bearings and wire?
Best regards,
Keith.
 
Hi Keith,

It's just the bearings and the wire, although the damper and VTA adjustment is also not standard on the IV.

As for sonics, I've never heard a IV compared directly to a V. I know James was convinced the wires made a big difference but I've never compared them blind. I don't sadly have a guru I can consult on this either :)
 
Also I think the V is 'dynamically balanced' with vtf applied by spring, the IV isn't. Whether that is significant I have no idea.

Paul
 
Have we got back to first principles in this thread? Which I seem to recall was the suitability of the Ortofon Anna MC in a 12" tonearm.

I'd love to be able to hear what a better turntable, tonearm and cartridge set up than mine (PT Anniversary/SME V/ Ortofon A90)......

You have a problem...to my ears the Anniversary is one of the finest turntables of the last two decades. And I know of no turntable better able to make the best of the standard SME Five, mainly because of the quality of the Pink mounting board, which is rather good.
Arthur, the designer of Pink decks, always liked the neutrality of Ortofons. If you want an Anna, ignore all the stuff on these threads and just buy one. Ortofon are a decent firm and forums really do tend to exaggerate, in many cases on the basis of no real knowledge.
As for whether you'd like the Anna enough to justify the price over a refitted A90,,I couldn't even guess. But I'd think twice before selling that Anniversary. You'd have to spend a huge sum to better it (imo). And the SME Five is surely the best arm for that specific deck.
If you get a chance, hear a Koetsu on the combination. There's a rare synergy between the Pink, the Five and a Koetsu. Although Arthur and Neil always hated them!
Re 'first principles'. The SME factory says the V12 is suitable for cartridges up to 30gms, the Anna is 16gms. Smack in the ideal range. The arm comes with a range of cantilever weights, so you can get the mass as close as possible to the pivot.
 
What is the SQ difference between IV and V? From what I can see it is just the better bearings (one set is the same) and the better arm wire? The rest is ease of adjustment related? Is there that much difference from bearings and wire?
Best regards,
Keith.

Hi Keith,

It's just the bearings and the wire, although the damper and VTA adjustment is also not standard on the IV.

As for sonics, I've never heard a IV compared directly to a V. I know James was convinced the wires made a big difference but I've never compared them blind. I don't sadly have a guru I can consult on this either :)

Also I think the V is 'dynamically balanced' with vtf applied by spring, the IV isn't. Whether that is significant I have no idea.

Paul

Hi,

The bearings in the IV & V are the same, they have been for some time. The V has silver wire as standard with a dynamic balanced system. The IV has a static balanced system with LCIC (Low capacitance Instrumentation Cables) copper wire. The V has more adjustments on it.

You can get either arm wired with whatever cable you want.

I don't know which is the best.

Dean
 
If you don't need the features on the Five, then the Four is, in reality, just fine. Minor differences in sound are probably down to set-up and small sample variations. Because these arms transmit so much energy, a crucial factor is the suitability of the armboard. It makes a real difference. But then the 9inch Series Five is a tricky arm if you don't take great care. It's not a 'relaxed' sort of design. The 309 is often a practical alternative.
It may sound like heresy, but in some set-ups the humble M9 (or better, M10) can be a nicer listen. And, for me, the cheapest SME 12inch (not much more than £1000) can give the Series Five 9 inch a real fight. System synergy is all.
The big problem is that it is so hard to hear these combinations. You need a willing dealer with a good range of stock and a genuinely open mind....not one who simply wants to peddle the same model and arm all the time to keep the cost of stock down.
 
And, for me, the cheapest SME 12inch (not much more than £1000) can give the Series Five 9 inch a real fight. System synergy is all.
/QUOTE]

Surely you wouldn't favourably compare this with the V12?

Doesn't this cheaper model have a detachable headshell, though? One more break in the SME wiring chain? I believe you can have the V12 with continuous wiring (maybe other models as well), which makes sense to me. Not happy about the Phantom because it seems counter-intuitive to have SO many breaks in the cart. to ph/stage chain.
 
I have SME IV with the V wiring and have considered going to the V but as far as I can see that would be for easier adjustment rather than more adjustment, ABEC 7 rather than ABEC 3 in one of the races and damping facility. How much any of this affect sq I am sceptical. Taking care to get a spot on set up gives more I think. Paskinn is right it is not a relaxed own but then my other arm is a Moerch DP6! Now there is an arm that is not "relaxed" in the context of ease of set up! I had to take it off as that way lay madness and despair! Still have it though and will return to it in the future as it is a beautiful, beautiful arm.
Best regards,
Keith
 
Have also heard two V owners say they prefer the sound without the damping which brings it back closer to the IV. Adjustments on the fly may be nice though. Anyone had experience of the Mint LP Tracker?
BR,
Keith.
 
Have also heard two V owners say they prefer the sound without the damping which brings it back closer to the IV. Adjustments on the fly may be nice though.
BR,
Keith.

What adjustments on the fly? I had a V for many years and couldn't adjust anything on the fly. In fact, beautifully engineered for accurate set-up it may be, it was a bit of a laborious task for VTA, I found. Adjustment of overhang by sled may be 'safer' than by headshell slots, but is no more effective or easier, i.m.o.
 
What adjustments on the fly? I had a V for many years and couldn't adjust anything on the fly. In fact, beautifully engineered for accurate set-up it may be, it was a bit of a laborious task for VTA, I found. Adjustment of overhang by sled may be 'safer' than by headshell slots, but is no more effective or easier, i.m.o.

Regarding the highlighted opinion above, I find ithe sled method more affective as it offeres better consistency of adjustmnent. Regardng it not being easier is plain wrong or just silly.
 
I thought VTA was adjustable on the fly? I must have picked that up wrong. I agree set up can be a bit time consuming but then is that not a worthwhile task with all arms/carts to get the best results? There are more difficult arms out there as well!
BR,
Keith.
 
Regarding the highlighted opinion above, I find ithe sled method more affective as it offeres better consistency of adjustmnent. Regardng it not being easier is plain wrong or just silly.

I lived with this sled method for 15 years, and, like you, found it effective enough but a bit fiddly. I was surprised to find that adjusting the cart. in the headshell in my current N.A. arm to be at least on a par.

However, whilst both methods are fine, I'd have to say that the SME sled would seem to be over-engineered for the purpose. Nothing wrong in that, but it must detract from simplicity and manufacturing cost effectiveness.

By the same token, I wouldn't want to return to the SME VTA adjustment method after experiencing a far simpler and quicker one.
 
And, for me, the cheapest SME 12inch (not much more than £1000) can give the Series Five 9 inch a real fight. System synergy is all.
/QUOTE]

Surely you wouldn't favourably compare this with the V12?in.

Isn't this all down to system matching? There will be decks where the M12R is all you need. And if you want an SPU, you can't use the V12 anyway. I was really trying to suggest that you can view the SME arm range as 'alternatives' rather than just a simple issue of price and features.
To my ears, the whole 'M' range is a bit neglected, given what the arms offer. They tend to be a bit 'kinder' sounding, a little less demanding. Think plush saloon against the 'sports car' performance of the V range.
I think that a Garrard 401 with an M12 R would be a very interesting alternative to a 401/ 9inch V. It would really be a matter of taste rather than absolute quality, at least to my ears. And the M 12R costs half as much.
 
WRT to the SME V adjustments, one of the delights of the engineering is that it eliminates shakey hands from the equation and allows remarkably precise control to be at anyone's "fingertips" so to speak.

Beautifully smooth and elegant engineering. Whether there is a benefit might well depend on your age/health condition as much as anything.
 


advertisement


Back
Top