My new SME 3009 II Improved tonearm

[the keester]

I recently picked up a Thorens TD124 that came with an armboard drilled for an SME tonearm. I didnt have one and I wanted to hear the TT right away so I stuck a Rega RB250 with Michell mods in the slot and used my Rega arc protractor to set up the Grado Gold cart. It sounded pretty sweet. Nice slam, highs and bass. The grado was sounding very nice.

Yesterday I received my mint (besides the cable) SME 3009 II improved and set it all up with the same Grado Gold. I had an issue with the DIN cable leads but I think I got that fixed.

The SME sounds dull and lifeless. I tried a couple of wood body Grados with the same results. It has nice bass but the extended highs are not there.

I used the 'bearwald stupid protractor' that I downloaded from vinylengine and I admit Im not used to using a protractor without an arc so maybe the setup isnt perfect but I messed with it for a few hours and could not get any life out of the Grados.

Am I doing something wrong?? This SME 3009 is often seen with the TD124 so I assume its a very good match. Are Grados known for not working well with an SME 3009?? I would keep the Rega but I dont like the look of a modern black tonearm with the TD124.

Any tips? Is this common? Also does anyone know where I can get an arc type protractor for an SME 3009 II Improved?

 

[spartanmanor]

I am using a SME 3009 II on my TD 124 with a Grado gold and it sounds great. The only thing I can think of is your wiring and possibly the pin connections. You should be hearing wonderful music.

 

[the keester]

well after doing some research i took off the little rubber grommets off of the plate that holds the arm to the armboard and it brought out the highs a bit and tightened things up but Im still not very happy

 

[Puma Cat]

I think yiou have a mismatch between the tonearm mass and the cartridge compliance. The 3009 II improved was a much lower mass arm than the original 3009 series, and intended for the high compliance cartridge designs of the time. The Grado is a medium compliance cartridge and favors an arm like the Rega, which is a medium mass, rather than low mass, arm. The 3009 might have been used historically with the Thorens, but it is cartridge compliance that it is paired with that the key attribute for compatibility.

Also, the Rega is a better arm design than the SME...hate to say it, but it's true. It was designed by Gandy specifically to overcome the shortcomings of arms at the time, like the 3009, with it's knife edge bearings.

So, putting two and two together, the better arm mass/cartridge compliance match, plus the superior stiffness, bearings and arm design of the Rega, and I am not surprised it sounds better.

Oh, and by the way, SMEs want Stevenson geometry, not Baerwald.

 

[the keester]

thanks for the advice but i resolved the problem. my cleaning lady hit the HF filter on the Mac preamp when she cleaned wednesday and I never noticed lol i knew something was weird. the arm does sound much better but i need to align everything up better.

is there an arc type Stevenson protractor out there?

Puma Cat I read on Vinyl ENgine that my serial # SME 3009 usess the Bearwald while the others use the Stevenson. Its very confusing.

 

[thedelihaus]

A classy arm. Tonearm folk sometimes develop strong alliances to certain types of arms-unipivot, air, string suspended, fixed bearing, knife edge-

Thing is, any of these, if well designed, is going to be a good performer.

The 3009s keep their value for a reason.

 

[Puma Cat]

thanks for the advice but i resolved the problem. my cleaning lady hit the HF filter on the Mac preamp when she cleaned wednesday and I never noticed lol i knew something was weird. the arm does sound much better but i need to align everything up better.

is there an arc type Stevenson protractor out there?

Puma Cat I read on Vinyl ENgine that my serial # SME 3009 usess the Bearwald while the others use the Stevenson. Its very confusing.

Keester,
You can download a Stevenson protractor from Vinyl Engine. I downloaded mine from there and printed it out on bright yellow cardstock.

It works well. If you can't find it, send me a PM with your email and I will email the template I have.

 

[the keester]

thanks puma cat, i DLed the 'stupid protractor' from vinyl engine. a post there said that my serial # needed that protractor and everything seems to be working well.

i know you have a grado sonata and ive been using grado 'the reference' for some time but i put on a Grado Prestige Gold1 that I got a while ago and I actually am prefering it to the woodbody grados lately. ive only compared it to the platinum and the reference. the gold seems to have more weight and fulness but maybe not as deiailed. i am thinking about trying out a used sonata if one pops up for a reasonable price.