SME 20/2 SME V or Triplanar VII?

Thanks Raul. Could you explain what you mean by static balance rather than dynamic balance? I know the difference in wheel balancing in the auto world, but I'm not sure what you mean with respect to tonearms.

Ed

Dear Ed: Static balance: you set the VTF using only the counterweight leaving the VTF V device out of work in this manner you by-pass this mechanism that tend to resonate and that put distortions/colorations in the sound reproduction.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Raul, re using only static balance: Are you saying that with an SME V, for instance, you should set the spring balance dial to zero, and then set the VTF using only the counterweight? That's very interesting. Does the spring really cause so much resonance around the bearing? Can you hear it, or is that simply a theory? Using the counterweight alone to set VTF would be quite tedious, but not impossible, I suppose.

While on this subject, I wanted to mention here that supposedly, the SME IV.V is designed more with MC cartridges in mind. It has ONLY counterweight VTF adjustment, and the internal tonearm wiring uses coated ribbons (a la Magnan) which supposedly allow even smoother bearing operation and better electrical performance than the silver litz van den Hul wiring.

SirSpeedy: On what basis do you make your judgment of the Grand Prix?

I challenge anyone to actually 'hear' a difference between a statically or dynamically balanced V. Dynamic balancing was introduced by SME for use on very warped records. From what I understand, the IV.V is specially produced by SME for Sumiko alone and the people at SME do not think it measures up to the V with MCS150 internal wiring.