2. analog
  3. 136698-5312

Good carts with SME V

Hi there
What could be the carts that match optimally with a SME V tonearm?
My SME is on a Hanss T30 player.

The match should have a resonance around 10 hz - I believe. Or no lower than 8 hz.

Cart suggestions are appreciated, from users of the SME V especially.

I ask also since maybe "official" resonance measures are way off, compared to user experience. Please include the weight and compliance of your cart suggestion, and if possible, your resonance testing frequency. 



o_holter
o_holter OP
541 posts
 
It may be that with good tonearms like the SME V, the resonance calculators and test record results are not very indicative. You may have a very good sounding cart, with no perceived problems (maybe, depending on system resolution in low frequencies), even if the cart-arm resonance is  7Hz or lower. This might be a way to explain the very varied user results. Cf sublmnl, with the Frog, above. By the book it should be problematic, by the ears, it was great.
o_holter OP
541 posts
 
tzh21y - Benz Gullwing - could be interesting, thanks. 0.35 output, 12.2 g, compliance 15. Wish I had one, to try.

o_holter OP
541 posts
 
Snackeyp, markmendenhall - Kiseki - yes, this is an interesting alternative. I read a very good review of the purple heart. Pricing is not up in the sky. Output is a healthy (for me) 0.48, weight only 7 g, so even if  the given compliance of 16 is Japanese (at 100Hz), it may work.
atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
7,068 posts
 
I had good luck with the SME5 and the Micro Benz cartridges, but that was a while ago. The Micro Benz was a trooper though- the cantilever suspension held up for over 10 years. 
o_holter OP
541 posts
 
I wish I had the finance to try all the good suggestions offered - Koetsu, Kiseky, vdH, Benz - it would have been useful for all. For now, I fall back on my Lyra Titan i, still doing a fair job, and I must consider a new cart carefully, for financial reasons.
More to discover