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Thread: SME 3012 Tonearm cable advice needed

  1. #1
    Join Date: Mar 2016

    Location: Barnet, london UK

    Posts: 2,146
    I'm Adam.

    Default SME 3012 Tonearm cable advice needed

    I picked up a pretty decent Garrad 401TT with SME 3012 Tonearm

    The SME 3012 has the original cable. Is it advisable to change the cable, can it easily be bettered?
    Thanks in advance for your help..
    "lack of passion is fatal"


    Vinyl: Thorens TD-124mk2 / SME-312 Aluminium 'special' / SME M2-9R / STEREO: Etsuro Urushi Cobalt / Shure M3D / Ortofon SPU A95 / Cartridge Man Music Master / Shure - SC35C (US) / SAEC C3 MC MONO: Miyajima Zero B 0.7mil mono / Miyajima Premium 1.0 / Amps & SUTs: Radford STA25 mk3 / AD Audio 'Satchmo2' pre & LCR phono / Hashimoto HM-7 SUT / ETR-MONO SUT Digital: Audio Note 4.1 (with DAC5 upgrades) DAC / Roon / Tidal Speakers: Tannoy 12" MGs' in RFC custom 'Rutland' Cabinets with RFC crossovers / Tannoy ST-100 Super Tweeters Cables: LFD Grainless phono / RFC Mercury / Duelund DCA16GA tinned copper / Kimber 12TC / SW1X Audio Design USB-SPdif / Duelund DCA20GA interconnects / SW1X Audio SPDIF Aero 6 / Mains Power Conditioner / Box Furniture rack / Audiodesk Systeme Vinyl Cleaner / a very beautiful & understanding Wife!

  2. #2
    montesquieu Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by WESTLOWER View Post
    I picked up a pretty decent Garrad 401TT with SME 3012 Tonearm

    The SME 3012 has the original cable. Is it advisable to change the cable, can it easily be bettered?
    Thanks in advance for your help..
    Don't know much about SME arm cables TBH but I'd be tempted to convert it to RCAs so you can use any cable http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/phono-RCA-...gAAOSwEzxYd4gz - this is just an example there are different approaches to doing this and it might be better to get an expert such as Phonomac here to do the actual conversion.

    EDIT --posh version here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SME-3009-3...wAAOSw7L1Z2TTr

  3. #3
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: North West UK

    Posts: 214
    I'm Dave.

    Default

    I suggest you contact Johnnie at Audio Origami for some advice. Very helpful and does great work on arms.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: North West UK

    Posts: 214
    I'm Dave.


  5. #5
    Join Date: Mar 2016

    Location: Barnet, london UK

    Posts: 2,146
    I'm Adam.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by montesquieu View Post
    Don't know much about SME arm cables TBH but I'd be tempted to convert it to RCAs so you can use any cable http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/phono-RCA-...gAAOSwEzxYd4gz - this is just an example there are different approaches to doing this and it might be better to get an expert such as Phonomac here to do the actual conversion.

    EDIT --posh version here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SME-3009-3...wAAOSw7L1Z2TTr
    Cheers Chaps
    that 'Posh' one is way past my station!!
    "lack of passion is fatal"


    Vinyl: Thorens TD-124mk2 / SME-312 Aluminium 'special' / SME M2-9R / STEREO: Etsuro Urushi Cobalt / Shure M3D / Ortofon SPU A95 / Cartridge Man Music Master / Shure - SC35C (US) / SAEC C3 MC MONO: Miyajima Zero B 0.7mil mono / Miyajima Premium 1.0 / Amps & SUTs: Radford STA25 mk3 / AD Audio 'Satchmo2' pre & LCR phono / Hashimoto HM-7 SUT / ETR-MONO SUT Digital: Audio Note 4.1 (with DAC5 upgrades) DAC / Roon / Tidal Speakers: Tannoy 12" MGs' in RFC custom 'Rutland' Cabinets with RFC crossovers / Tannoy ST-100 Super Tweeters Cables: LFD Grainless phono / RFC Mercury / Duelund DCA16GA tinned copper / Kimber 12TC / SW1X Audio Design USB-SPdif / Duelund DCA20GA interconnects / SW1X Audio SPDIF Aero 6 / Mains Power Conditioner / Box Furniture rack / Audiodesk Systeme Vinyl Cleaner / a very beautiful & understanding Wife!

  6. #6
    montesquieu Guest

    Default

    It might well be perfectly fine of course ... I'd give it a listen before spending any dosh. Deoxit is always a good idea when bringing older kit back to life.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Mar 2016

    Location: Barnet, london UK

    Posts: 2,146
    I'm Adam.

    Default

    Cheers Tom, great advice!
    "lack of passion is fatal"


    Vinyl: Thorens TD-124mk2 / SME-312 Aluminium 'special' / SME M2-9R / STEREO: Etsuro Urushi Cobalt / Shure M3D / Ortofon SPU A95 / Cartridge Man Music Master / Shure - SC35C (US) / SAEC C3 MC MONO: Miyajima Zero B 0.7mil mono / Miyajima Premium 1.0 / Amps & SUTs: Radford STA25 mk3 / AD Audio 'Satchmo2' pre & LCR phono / Hashimoto HM-7 SUT / ETR-MONO SUT Digital: Audio Note 4.1 (with DAC5 upgrades) DAC / Roon / Tidal Speakers: Tannoy 12" MGs' in RFC custom 'Rutland' Cabinets with RFC crossovers / Tannoy ST-100 Super Tweeters Cables: LFD Grainless phono / RFC Mercury / Duelund DCA16GA tinned copper / Kimber 12TC / SW1X Audio Design USB-SPdif / Duelund DCA20GA interconnects / SW1X Audio SPDIF Aero 6 / Mains Power Conditioner / Box Furniture rack / Audiodesk Systeme Vinyl Cleaner / a very beautiful & understanding Wife!

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by SquireC View Post
    I suggest you contact Johnnie at Audio Origami for some advice. Very helpful and does great work on arms.
    Seconded!

    That's undoubtedly the route I'd go down, as what Johnnie doesn't know about any aspect of tonearms isn't worth knowing. And not only would the arm be expertly rewired, but the bearings tested and adjusted if necessary, and the whole thing given a clean bill of health, before being returned sounding its absolute best!

    So... Johnnie for rewiring, and for actual tonearm leads, I'd recommend Jannis Tome: http://www.back-promo.co.uk/html/intro.html whom the same applies to, in terms of expertise.

    Marco.
    Main System

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