Scheu/Eurolab TT - which tonearm, mat


I am about to buy a Scheu/Eurolab PremierII turntable, probably with a 50mm-platter. I am undecided, however, about the tonearm-choice: Does it pay to go with one of the Scheu-arms (especially the Cantus or the new Tacco), or should I rather buy a used SME series IV or V? Anyone compared/switched? Another question for the flimsy wiring of the Scheu-arms: Anyone replaced them with sth else? And lastly: What is the best TT-mat for the Premier? Living Voice Mystic Mat, Ringmat, Extreme Phono-Non-Felt, or sth else. (I even thought about testing a blue leather mat made by Acoustic Solid, it does look so nice...)
hassel

Showing 3 responses by dougdeacon

Hi,
I've no experience with any of the arms you're considering so I'll leave that to others, except to say that it can be a serious error to choose an arm before choosing a cartridge (or vice versa for that matter). The cartridge/arm synergy is about the most important in the whole chain.

Choosing an arm without knowing what cartridge(s) you're going to use could easily restrict you to a type of cartridge you don't prefer, or result in sub-optimal performance with the cartridges you do prefer.

Of course to choose a cartridge, you have to know what phono stage you're going to use, to make sure gain and loading will be compatible. On and on and on... ;-)

I'd be surprised if a Scheu sounded best with any mat. My Teres sounds profoundly better with a clamp and no mat. Since Teres began as a, "let's DIY a Scheu" project, I imagine the same philosophy would apply. Mats seem to suit suspended TT's better than suspensionless ones, and of course they help TT's with noisy motors and/or bearings. None of those considerations apply to a Scheu.

Enjoy the tunes whatever you choose!
Hassel,

You may not have been, "asking out of the blue", but we were certainly being kept in the dark!

Thanks for filling in that detail. Hopefully some who've used both brands of arms will chime in.

Regards,
Doug
Ahh!

Do consider what Rauliruegas said. That would be a gorgeous looking rig.