New tonearm: wish to upgrade from DV 505


Dear Audiogoners,
I would like to get your advice for the best actual upgrade from an old DV 505 (mounted on a PX 100 M direct drice). Within the last 20 years, many alternatives evolved. I appreciate any of your valuable proposals. Da Vinci? Schroeder SQ? FR? Any suggestions are welcome.
Best regards r walter
_r_walter
Dear r_walter: IMHO ( till today, as Lemw point out. ) there are no best/king tonearms what we can find ( over time and testing several tonearms. ) is a a cartridge best tonearm matching.

Now, looking to your system and the Kiseki set-up on the DV-505 ( btw, very good DD unit that Onkyo, good. ) there are at least three things that you can try and that could/can change the quality performance of that rig:

first is to run the 505 in static balanced way setting the VTF through the counterweight instead the VTF dial, this makes that the tonearm counterweight goes nearer the pivot given ( between other things ) an improve in tracking, a little change in effective mass that affect the performance, and in this way you take out a possible point of resonance ( the VTF dinamically spring devices. ).

second, you can change the headshell and test the Kiseki with two or three other different weight and build material headshells till you find the one that makes the difference in quality performance you are looking for, the cartridge/headshell combination makes a huge difference in the sound perceived quality performance.

and third you can change not only the headshell wires but the tonearm internal wiring.

four, you can do/make these three suggestions.

Of course that you can make tests with different load impedance values, VTA/SRA changes and ( if the headshell permit ) Azymuth ones.

As you can see there are land to cover other than change the tonearm that always is an alternative.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
R Walter, Let me echo Raul. I just took a look at your system page. Wow! You've got some wonderful stuff. How do you like the Onkyo vs the Clearaudio Max Solution? I've sort of had my eye out for a px100M, but have never seen one for sale. In fact, yours is the first I've seen in private hands. Anyway, you are playing at a high level to begin with. You might try some of the tricks that Raul suggested before selling the DV505.
many thanks to all of you for the valuable input.
@ Raul: your knowledgeable suggestions are especially useful, I will go for the points you mentioned.
@ Lewn: comparing the PX 100 M to the Clearaudio Maximum Solution with magnetic bearing, the PX seems to have an inbuild stability in sound production which is fantastic at least in my ears. The Max Sol needs the outer limit stabilizer ring to come pretty close.
Regards walter
_r_walter,
I love your analog set-up. I would love to hear the Onkyo PX-100M. I agree with Raul and Lew about trying a number of things before selling the DV-505...