Tonearm Advice

Posted by: Evan D. Jay on 07 July 2001

I have owned an LP12 for 18 years and it currently is fitted with an Aro, Armageddon and Dynavector Karat Nova. I recently purchase a Voyd Reference turntable that came with an SME V tonearm. While I think the SME is a fine tonearm, I much prefer the fluidity and musicality of the Aro. Accordingly, I'd like to try a different arm on the Voyd. The options I am aware of are the Aro, the Audio Note AN-1s and the Graham 2.2.

I am not trying to get the Voyd to sound like my LP12, but I think the Voyd could really be wonderful with a new arm.

Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Posted on: 08 July 2001 by Top Cat

quote:
The ARO has many fans on the forum but I rate it as roughly equivalent to an Ittok and easily outclassed by an SME 5 or 4

Get thee to some cotton buds or an ear syringe quickly, you're losing it.

The Aro is way superior to an Ittok. Period. Never heard a system with an SME V or IV sound even remotely good, so can't comment (Gyrodecs and whatnot, unmusical and listless sounding)

John

Posted on: 08 July 2001 by JWinston

I bought an Lp-12 some years ago from a guy who set up a bunch of different flavors - Pink Linnk'd, Armageddon'd, Audio Note arms, custom plinths etc. He had a customer who went from a Valhalla'd Ittok LVIII/Troika rebuild to same with an Aro. Customer was unhappy with Aro - apparently felt low-end wasn't what it had been with the Ittok (listening to small jazz combos as I recall) and was looking to switch back, or over to an Ekos.

FWIW I have an Ittok LVII, but I HAD an Aro which I thought was better esp in the mids, and which did seem to have less bass but I am pretty damn happy to stay put (and all this into a Nait 2/ Kans so might get very different with an 82,52 say).

As always YMMV, FWIW, FYI etc...

Regards

John

Posted on: 08 July 2001 by DUPREE

The Aro is a terrific arm, but it is quite a different presentation than the Linn Ittok and Ekos arm. The Aro is sort of dainty and presents a small and very detailed sound stage. The Ittok has much more weight especially in the bass, but lacks the detail of the Aro. The Aro IMHO is slightly more tuneful than the Ittok. The Ekos however has both the detail and tune of the Aro and does everything better than the Ittok (Which is still a better arm than the SME, which is not tuneful at all, and is a heavy slead of an arm). If I were to rank the arms you are discusing my oppinion would be. It is easy to set up a incredible sounding LP-12 system with either of those 3 arms.
1. Ekos
2. Aro
3. Ittok LV-II,III
94. Steel Needle Victor Exibition.
105. SME

Posted on: 09 July 2001 by Simon Matthews

Went from Ekos to arrow- much more musical now in the midband, sweeter top end and no end of side tracking issues, something which manifested itself with Ekos. Less bass slam than Ekos BUT more tunefull and more flow. My opinion only!!

Posted on: 09 July 2001 by ebirah

Yet more ratification of the above...The Ittok is a great, great arm (great bargain now) but the Aro does things very differently - gentle, spacious, detailed, polite, very musical. Lovely. The Ekos is like an Ittok on steroids - indeed I find it a little too impressive to listen to comfortably (does that make sense) - the 'slam' it provides makes for some fatiguing listening given the wrong cartridge. I plumped for the Aro. (I've also used a RB300 on a Linn with phenomenal results given its bargain-basement price. Syrinx PU2 was also good but heath-robinson to set up).

Steve