If you had £550 to spend on a Tonearm?

[walpurgis]

The Mission 774 is a very low mass design so it does rather limit cartridge choice to those with medium/high to high compliance. It is possible to tweak its mass, of course, but you can't fight very hard against the laws of physics as it applies to tonearm/cartridge mass and suspension compliance. The database over at Vinyl Engine is great for assessing this sort of thing.

That's not quite how it works with the 774 Hugo. It is a low mass design, but the fluid damping allows it to be used with cartridges of any compliance. I've been using a 774 for well over thirty years with low compliance Deccas and MCs and had excellent results. The sound quality from the Mission arm is superb.


The 774 fits straight on the SL-1210/SL-1200 turntables if you use an SME mounting plate.

[Ali Tait]

Yes Mike, but that was before the rewire, and the new cart.

I'm using a Benz Gullwing SLR on mine at 12.2g. Sounds fabulous. I have had to tape some pound coins to the counterweight, however there are some heavier counterweights available on eBay.

I've bought a 12" wand for mine, but the armboard will need surgery before I can fit it.

The rewire is admittedly not the cheapest at 325, but well worth it IMHO.

[walpurgis]

I see Tom has made observations similar Hugo's about the 774's low mass. I'll confirm again that the arm will work with cartridges of any compliance. The low mass is not an issue.

[Ali Tait]

I've had a VDH retipped 103 on mine. Sounded great.

[montesquieu]

I see Tom has made observations similar Hugo's about the 774's low mass. I'll confirm again that the arm will work with cartridges of any compliance. The low mass is not an issue.

I have my doubts but accept what you are saying as I have no direct experience of the damping arrnagement on the 774. I would still go for the Jelco for reasons of flexibility and the overall package. I'm a big fan of vintage kit as you know and no stranger to restoring and fettling it but in this instance I would take the Jelco - it's a great match for the Zu 103.

[walpurgis]

Not done the comparison. But I'd back the sound quality from my 774 against any Jelco.

I have compared it to a variety of Japanese arms with removable headshells and they did not come close. Neither did the Ittok I used to own, which sounded cruder and coarser.

I am biased of course, as I have three Missions and love the sound quality, but if I heard something better at a sane price I'd consider it.

Until relatively recently the 774 sold for maybe £150 and was not 'on the radar' for most (bit like Goldring MCs). Prices are picking up though (might be my fault ).

Many people just dismiss them as not being a serious contender, simply because they don't cost thousands and don't have the fine shiny finish of SME or Japanese arms. Wrong!! Properly set up, a 774 will run with the best. Much in the same way that the great potential of the Lenco L75 turntable is finally being appreciated.

[karma67]

Not done the comparison. But I'd back the sound quality from my 774 against any Jelco.

I have compared it to a variety of Japanese arms with removable headshells and they did not come close. Neither did the Ittok I used to own, which sounded cruder and coarser.

I am biased of course, as I have three Missions and love the sound quality, but if I heard something better at a sane price I'd consider it.
.

went from the 774 to the ittok and to be fair i wouldn't say they were far apart at all,i certainly didn't think, "shit! bad move",but then you do say you are biased
i payed £150 for mine about a year ago,you wont pay that now for a good one.

[Spectral Morn]

Hi,

I am seriously considering the offer that Ammonite Acoustics has on an Isokinetik Silver Melody arm and Collar at £550 for my Technics 1210 turntable.

Now if you were spending that kind of cash would you go for it or buy something second hand, obviously this would mean being able to buy something worth a lot more.

There's a few nice arms on eBay from Japan that come in at this budget but adding taxes etc makes them a little dearer.

I should mention that I'm currently running a ZU Denon 103 on the standard arm but have been advised to check out a Zyx Bloom cartridge as a better alternative so it would need to be compatible with either cartridge, apologies if this isn't possible as I know bugger all about mass etc.

Any thoughts/advice?

Thanks,

Mike.

For the Technics its a no brainer, just go buy it.

[walpurgis]

went from the 774 to the ittok and to be fair i wouldn't say they were far apart at all,i certainly didn't think, "shit! bad move",but then you do say you are biased

Actually, I was using a Decca London Export grey at the time I sold the Ittok. I don't think Ittoks do Deccas very well. It was OK with the SPU, but so was the 774.

[montesquieu]

Not done the comparison. But I'd back the sound quality from my 774 against any Jelco.

I have compared it to a variety of Japanese arms with removable headshells and they did not come close. Neither did the Ittok I used to own, which sounded cruder and coarser.

I am biased of course, as I have three Missions and love the sound quality, but if I heard something better at a sane price I'd consider it.

Until relatively recently the 774 sold for maybe £150 and was not 'on the radar' for most (bit like Goldring MCs). Prices are picking up though (might be my fault ).

Many people just dismiss them as not being a serious contender, simply because they don't cost thousands and don't have the fine shiny finish of SME or Japanese arms. Wrong!! Properly set up, a 774 will run with the best. Much in the same way that the great potential of the Lenco L75 turntable is finally being appreciated.

Hmmm ah hae ma doots, it's all getting a bit fan-boy (but then again that's routine round here and we are all guilty ) ... the Jelco I had was rewired in Kondo cable and I had J7 fettle the bearing so hardly standard, but did a fab job with a Koetsu Rosewood, assorted SPUs and an AN Io (with suitable heavyweight headshell and counterweight). I also stuck an Audio Note AN-V cable on it.

Not the last word admittedly, but as I say in my opinion you'd have to spend 2-3 times the outlay to beat it on an arm with similar flexibility (as I eventually did). I run stereo, mono & 78 MC cartridges and a couple of low-compliance MMs as well, for me anything without removable headshell is a complete PIA.

I think the Jelco is a no-brainer for what the OP is after. Not least the fact that you can go and buy one after all rather than waiting for one on ebay, then the inevitable restoration project ...