Japanese Tonearms

[Wakefield Turntables]

Guys,

im a little bored with my SME3012 and have decided that I would like to try something away from the beaten path. I'm in the process of getting my Garrard 401 ready to be plinthed and I'd like to try something Japanese and preferably 12", my new plinth will also accommodate a 9" arm so I'm happy for suggestions for either. I'm quite happy for old or vintage suggestions. I'm really looking forward to your suggestions.

[JohnG]

I was recently offered a chance to import a Audiocraft AC-3000MC, this was a VGC, Boxed Item.
I use a PMAT 1010, the Phonomac modified version of the AT-1010.
As for 12 inch Japanese models, these are slightly harder to come by, Jelco, Ikeda, SEAC and Micro Sieki can be brands seen with available items, especially if a risk through importing is acceptable.

[WESTLOWER]

Timestep T-612 'banana' tonearm, excellent value.

[vinylspinner]

If you do decide to go 12 inch look out for an ATP16 or AT1501, very good arms imho.

[Beobloke]

Sorane ZA12?

[helma]

Maybe something like a SAEC with their somewhat crazy one nullpoint geometry and double knife-edge bearing? Or one of the vintage unipivots like Audiocraft or even Stax UA-something (hmm were those even unipivots, I seem to think so)? If going for vintage, there are a crazy amount of Japanese tonearms around, some of them very good, some of them not so, but most of them very well made, though bearings might (probably?) need attention at this point.

The Sorane definitely looks interesting, if I had the expendable dough, I'd get one just out of curiosity

What about ViV lab rigid float? Completely straight (no offset angle) and very short tonearm with weird bearings for crazy money. How could you go wrong with that

[paulf-2007]

Maybe something like a SAEC with their somewhat crazy one nullpoint geometry and double knife-edge bearing? Or one of the vintage unipivots like Audiocraft or even Stax UA-something (hmm were those even unipivots, I seem to think so)? If going for vintage, there are a crazy amount of Japanese tonearms around, some of them very good, some of them not so, but most of them very well made, though bearings might (probably?) need attention at this point.
Kmm
The Sorane definitely looks interesting, if I had the expendable dough, I'd get one just out of curiosity

What about ViV lab rigid float? Completely straight (no offset angle) and very short tonearm with weird bearings for crazy money. How could you go wrong with that

stax UA-70 is a kind of unipivot but not as wobbly as the usual unipivots. I use one on my Denon DP80, excellent arm.

[Sand Dancin Donkey Walker]

Hi Rexton

My recommendation would be an Audiocraft AC-3000.
Used one on my Feickert Twin for a lot of years, never any trouble and just did it's thing no drama's.
I liked the variable damping adjuster, you can also get various arm upto 12" too.
If you get the Ltd version you get all the various weights to account for cartridge weights and arm lengths.

DFT 2.jpg

As a thought, I sold mine to Simon at HiFi Sound in Stockton.
He may have bought it for his personal collection, but could be still there in the shop.
May be worth a call

[montesquieu]

Worth looking out for an Ikeda IT-407, I have no complaints at all about mine and I regard it as a 'destination' - I admit to having a soft spot for the SME 3012 though for its fluidity. The Ikeda delivers its results in a different way. Anyway, I have evaluated lots of 12in arms and if you need the flexibility of a swappable headshell there's nothing better than the Ikeda in my view.

I swapped it in in place of an Ortofon RMG 309 limited (Limited has a few more toys than the RMG 309i) a 1990s Japanese market reissue of the1960s Ortofon RMG309. This is a great arm especially for SPU, and lovely thing to handle and use.

I previously also had an SME M2-12R which though it looks like the SME 3012 is actually a totally different arm, fully gimballed bearing as opposed to the part knife edge arrangement in the 3012. Quite a different sound to the 3012 and highly regarded in many quarters - indeed I've read praise for it on some forums as the best arm SME have ever made. (I'd certainly take it over an SME V).

As Adam mentioned the Timestep 612 is worth looking at too though it's very high mass and suitable only for the lowest compliance cartridges - all the others can do low compliance but can also cope with more mainstream cartridges as well. I had one briefly. The sound was fabulous, only reservations were ergonomic - it's just not quite as luxurious to use as the SMEs, Ortofon or Ikeda.

The SAEC WE407 is pretty cool but knife edge, as indeed is the new Jelco TK850 the 12in version of which I rate very highly (wouldn't surprise me if back to back the Jelco managed to better the SME 3012), so might not be the sort of audible change you are looking for. I have a hankering to check out the SAEC and spent some time with the Japanese guys at Munich this year looking at the re-issued version which is astronomically priced.

Personally I'm not the biggest fan of unipivots but there aren't that many with removable headshells anyway, one of the few is the bendy version of the Audiocraft AC3000 ... I didn't rate the one I heard, but arm performance is always highly dependent on what you use them with (cartridge especially but also TT ).

Pics: 12in Ikeda, 12in and 9in Ikedas, Timestep 612 and Ikeda together, Orofon RMG 309 Limited (with FR702 cartridge) and close-up, and SME M2-12R

[Barry]

+1 for both the Ikeda-modified Ortophon RMG309i and the SME M2-12R. To these I would also add the Brinkmann 10.5, but this is a fixed headshell design. (I use all three arms.)

If you are only interested in an arm with a detachable headshell, I would suggest you also look at the Abis SA-1.2 arm.