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Since I left with only 3 arm for my TT I asked myself what arm  I will use for my mono cartridge.  I would like to have 12” arm an arm that is comfortable. I have an old 3009 but it is original vision Mk1. The collectors love it but I do not find it’s locking and lifting mechanisms are compostable. So I will get rid of it. It would be great if I make the SME M2-12 to be my mono arm. The SME M2-12 is very good and the arm very firmly hold it’s geometry.

The problem with SME M2-12 is the idiotic headshell and sound. Both of them are bad. The SME M2 is like playing basketball in a gym with Kautschuk floor.

First I started to deal with SME M2 headshell. My mono cartridge is Ortofon Mono that has the old SME bayonet. The new SME M2 has it’s own bayonet – good quality in my estimation but absolutely not in compliance with anything else. So, I took the Ortofon Mono out it’s own Ortofon headshell and mount it on one of the SME M2 headshells (I have a few). The complete Ortofon Mono assembly is 30g, the cartridge itself without headshell is about 5g, the Ortofon Mono in the SME M2 headshell is about 14g. I mounted everything on the SME M2, set it up and played it at 3.7g VTF and very flat VTA. The sound instantly reminded me why I am not a huge fun of the SME M2.

Then I “read” the commentary of Romy the Cat:  “Say “no” to the light tonearms.”

http://www.goodsoundclub.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=1868

The SME M2 has an effective mass good for 12-14g headshell but I need at least 2-3 time heavier arm to play my Mono needle in the way how I’m accustomed.  I took 5g sorbothane sheet, dropped a few drops of melted paraffin on the headshell and dumped the sorbothane in melted paraffin. Then atop, with the same paraffin gluing I added 25cents, with is 5g. The effective mass went to 11g more. Sonically it was MUCH better – exactly as I expected. The lower bass lost it’s rubber-ness and the arm started to be less mechanically sounding.

I would like to do another 10g but the VTF setting on the arm can’t handle it. If I am not mistaken the SME does not produce the extra weight for their M2 arms. So, I need to talk with my machinist to do the twice heavier contra weight. Alternately I might use some kind of spring and to do the combinated contra weight but I am not sure for now. The point is that if to add to the M2 arm more mass and to make it with effective mass of 25-30g then it look like perfume much better and very possible that as it might be acceptable.

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