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I want to try a different tonearm on my classic

Hello AGONers,

I have been thinking about trying a new tonearm on my classic 1. I beleive I want to try something outside the JMW line. Have any of you VPI users made an upgrade to your tonearm? If so, What make and model tonearm are you getting good results with? I currently have the JMW 10.5 arm with a soundsmith sussuro paua. This combination sound nice and I have been happy with it thus far. I am just curious to see if I cant squeeze more performance out of this cartridge with a different tonearm. Do you guys have any suggestions or should I just stay with the JMW.....

Thanks
Andy
andyprice44
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
Yes.. the point about the Rega/JMW interchangability is they use the same geometry.
So a different aftermarket arm would need a different hole in the plinth to be set up right.

I agree the swap to a Rega would be a lateral move, and not an upgrade.
Though it might sound different as unipivot vs gimbal
andyprice44 OP
133 posts
 
thanks for the thoughts jmcgrogan and elizabeth. After some furthur research, I have decided it would be too much effort to modifiy my table to accept another arm. I might just continue to save my dollars for a new table at a later date.
sarcher30
596 posts
 
A Rega arm will not just drop in the VPI Classic. The Classic arm is an 10.5 inch arm. If you really want to use another brand arm and don't want to modify the table yourself I believe VPI can do it for you. Tri-Planar or a Reed 10.5" would be the easiest. A Graham will not work without allot of modification due to where the tonearm cable exits the arm and the fact that it exits at 90 degrees. The plinth of the Classic is too thick for the Graham's tonearm cable to clear the bottom.
andyprice44 OP
133 posts
 
thanks for the insight Sarcher. I will look into that.
nandric's avatar
nandric
3,263 posts
 
I own the Triplanar VII as well as the Reed 2A (12'') but enjoy the old FR-64 s the most. As some Aussie stated the best buy arm in existance. That is to say a bargain. There
is a myth about the eff. mass of this arm but 'it depends' from the used headshell. However I would never use a light weight headshell. Those cheap (magnesium) Sumiko headshells with azimuth provision and included wire are excelent (13g). I use this arm to test all kinds of carts; the MM kind and the MC kind.
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