I’ve been down a bit of a rabbit hole of late while evaluating a range of tonearms, pick-ups and their combined performance. As this also means understanding the intrinsic relationship between the two.
Why? Because outside of amplifier and loudspeaker matching, a tonearm and its cartridge are arguably the most important pairing in an analogue hifi outfit. And when done right they’ll make your vinyl front end truly sing. But when it’s not done right, the results are head-scratchingly disappointing. You could, for example, have a cartridge costing tens of thousands, but when mated to a miss-matched arm you’ll be hearing only a fraction of their combined performance, and it’s all down to good old physics.
Made for each other, literally: Shure’s V15 Type III moving-magnet cartridge with Super-Track “Plus'” Stylus on SME’s 3009 Series II Improved arm, mounted on my SME 20/2 deck
As I type this I’m preparing my inbox for a flurry of better and more scientific explanations from our readers than I can muster (which I of course welcome), but here’s my attempted explanation of this symbiotic partnership in layman’s terms…
Compliance and effective mass
Most cartridges have a ‘compliance’ rating, which denotes how firm or soft its suspension system is. These are the mechanical elements inside the cartridge that allow the stylus-tipped cantilever to move (generating its signal using moving-magnets against fixed coils, or visa versa), while ensuring that the cartridge body remains static in its vertical plane. Think of it like a car, with the wheels representing the needle riding in a (vinyl) groove while keeping the car and effect on its occupants nice and smooth. And the softer the suspension, the higher a cartridge’s compliance rating.
To allow the cartridge to function as intended, its partnering tonearm’s ‘effective mass’ needs to also be taken into account. Too heavy and the arm will prevent the cantilever moving freely across its range (using the earlier analogy, think of how a car rides when overloaded), well as if it’s too light or the cartridge’s suspension too stiff so that it’s inadequately loaded, the whole cartridge and headshell may move up and down instead of working its internal suspension – both examples resulting in signal loss.
Iconic (fixed) headshell of SME’s 3009 Series II is riddled with holes to keep its effective mass low, note the classic style finger lift
As a basic rule of thumb, a high compliance cartridge usually needs a tonearm with a low effective mass (under 10g or so), well as a low compliance pick-up, such as Denon’s stalwart DL103, will perform at its best with a high effective mass tonearm, typically over 20g. A good indicator of a pick-up’s compliance is its recommended tracking force. The higher it is, the lower its compliance tends to be (hence the increased weight needed to get it working properly) with the average being around 1.8g (which is why Denon’s DL103 demands a relatively whopping 2.5g).
Step back in time
But what if there was a tonearm designed specifically for a cartridge’s compliance and performance? Well there was! Since 1959 the Scale Model Equipment Company (or SME in hifi parlance) had been churning out its exquisitely engineered 3009 tonearm suited to cartridges of the era, which morphed into the Series II in 1962.
You can read a superb summary of the 3009 tonearm variations on Analogue Classics’ website.
In parallel to this, one of the biggest cartridge manufacturers of the times, Shure, had been evolving its V15 model (15 denoting its 15 degree vertical tracking angle). These cartridges marked a move away from the lower compliance types of the age, with much higher compliance ratings, thanks to their superior tracking abilities. This led to the Type III variant of 1973, released months after SME had announced its 3009 Series II Improved tonearm.
Shure and SME’s paperwork of the era was second to none, with detailed performance charts and instructions
With the SME boasting an effective mass of under 10 grams (and with the fixed headshell version being lighter than the detachable one, thanks to the weight saved in the coupling), and the Shure V15 Type III weighing 6 grams, with a tracking force of between 0.75-1.25g, many vinyl fans of the time found this the pairing that their treasured turntables had been craving.
V15 Type III’s underside revealing its colour-coded cartridge pins and Super-Track “Plus” stylus. A range of replacement styli are still available, from suppliers including Mantra Audio in the UK
All aboard the 3009
Despite this being over half a century ago, let’s not forget that by 1973 SME was almost three decades into its stride with an enviable reputation for precision engineering.
SME 3009’s design is esquisitely engineered, even by today’s standards
The 3009 boasted a range of simple yet sophisticated engineering features that are just as innovative today, hence why SME’s current M Series still carry many of the 3009’s hallmarks.
Its brightly polished ‘J’ shaped arm tube is made from anodised aluminium that’s 9.5mm in diameter with a wall thickness of just 0.56mm, while its bearings are comprised of ball-races for the vertical axis, and 0.13mm-radius knife-edge bearings in chrome seatings for the horizontal axis.
Cartridge alignment the SME way, with a sliding arm board rather than slotted headshell for greater control and fine tuning, note the knurled bolts for hand-tightening once set
And bucking the trends of the times, rather than cartridge alignment being achieved via long slots machined into the headshell for the cartridge mounting screws to slide in, SME made its headshell holes fixed circles and instead slotted the armboard mount, so that the tracking angle was achieved by sliding the whole arm fore and aft at the base plate.
Pumping iron – SME specified balance and rider weights as part of the 3009’s tracking force design
Other features denoting its considered design approach include how tracking force is set, with a threaded rear balance weight for getting the arm floating at zero grams as you would a modern arm, but then a second ‘rider weight’ was added on an outrigger, which slides forward to fine-tune downforce, with precision markings corresponding to set weights.
Performance
Once you get past the SME’s delicate feel in the hand and space age looks, the 3009 is relatively easy to install, providing your turntable has an SME type mounting of course – and it was a doddle to get up and running on my 20/2 turntable.
The original manual is also an essential reference point, and still being available for download on SME’s website gets a big tick for customer support.
A few design elements did throw me a little though, like the arm clamp seeming the wrong way around (below), so that the arm needs to be lifted over it when in use, but you soon get used to it.
Unlike most ‘donut’ style counterweights, the SME’s is predrilled and fitted with threaded rod, with different weights available including 90g and 109g (seen removed above)
Partnering kit for listening purposes are amps by Rotel (Michi X5) and Alchemist (Forseti APD15A), Primare R35 phono stage, Dynaudio Evoke loudspeakers and Nordost cables.
Let’s get one thing straight off the bat – these are not ‘old’ sounding bits of kit that are wrapped in fuzzy nostalgia, as the flavour they give tastes just as fresh as many arm and cart pairings today.
What they are is open sounding with dollops of melody that’s irresistibly inviting. Spinning classics like Nick Lowe’s Jesus Of Cool or Edie Brickell & New Bohemians’ Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars and you’ll have a cold heart not to be drawn into the frenetic fun and palpable energy of both albums. And that’s because there’s a delicious sense of joy in the midrange that can easily complete with MM pick-ups up to five hundred quid today.
Hanging bias weight is classic in design yet better engineered than most, right down to its pivoting wheel and bob-weight with chamfered edges
On the flip side though I’m keen to put the Shure’s superior tracking claims to the test, with a challenging pressing of London Grammar’s Californian Soil. And despite spending hours finessing the V15’s set-up and tracking force, there’s no denying a slight trembling in the lower frequencies in the title track. Could this be my pressing? Or the fact that this is not a factory fresh cartridge? Perhaps – but even at 1.25g it lacks the ultimate grip of my MoFi MasterTracker or Golding Ethos, and maybe this is where modern cartridges have the edge. On the whole the SME/Shure’s bass is articulate and lithe with a sonic signature that’s reminiscent of a pair of LS3/5As, but lacks that punch-in-the-gut wallop of modern heavyweight equivalents.
Hearing Not the Only Things from Gaz Coombes’ Turn The Car Around LP for example and the articulation and imaging in the lower notes is all there to be enjoyed, maybe more so than on most budget to midrange machines, but there’s not that powerful low down grunt in the subsonics I’ve come to expect modern gear. The SME/Shure double-act is a joy with classical music though (Holst’s The Planets on Decca for example was edge of my seat enthralling), and it’s more about the sound you’re seeking. Either way, these are great value classic bits of kit.
Silver vinyl surfer, the V15 Type III sports long screw mounts, demanding a steady hand
In Summary
What’s clearly obvious is how well these two products can hold their own against modern kit. Case in point – I had a respected friend round recently with a knowledge of music and its structure that’s greater than most, but less so hifi. Without telling him I had the SME/Shure combo on vinyl duties alongside a considerably pricey brand spanking turntable. After hours of A-B listening, without him knowing there was any vintage hardware in the mix and an evening lost to some amazing tracks, I then pointed out that the rig on the right was running an arm and cart over half a century old. His reaction said it all, “they sound different, but both just as good”. And given that a) the modern rig was well into four figures and b) if you choose wisely a 3009 and V15 can be had for hundreds, not thousands and with spares and online support line few other vintage hifi products, they’re more than worth seeking out.
Pop these on something equally special from back in vinyl’s golden age like a Transcriptors’ Hydraulic Reference and you’ll have vinyl source that, like an E-Type V12 or Gold Star Beezer, will sound as gorgeous as it looks for decades to come. Classic hifi at its best.
If you have more information about these products and would like to contribute to this article, you can email us at contact@audiograde.uk.
