SME 3012

This arm is recognized as the "must have" arm if you are running a Garrard 301 , the Thorens TD124 and other vintage turntables. In its hey-days, it was among the best, if not the best. I would describe its sound as bold and full bodied. Compared to the modern equivalent, the SME 312, the 3012 sounds more laidback and less incisive. But then the more modern sounding 312 can sound hi-fish and aggressive. Though admittedly , I have heard the 312 in only one system, and it sounded like that. My feeling about the difference in sound between the vintage and the new SMEs can be sum up like this. The older SMEs are easy on the ear and musical. The modern SMEs  ,build with greater rigidity and tight bearings, extract more information from the grooves. This results in better and more stable imaging. Great for analyzing the music. But if you just want to boogie to the music, it would be hard to beat a SME 3012.   Used price- $450