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Why is this Sony MC cart matched with this arm?

Posted by Kico (A) on October 14, 2013 at 20:00:39

The Sony cart VC-8E lists a cu of 30 and was advertised as a "very high" compliance cart and yet was designed for the PUA-237 and PUA-286 Sony arms which according to many is a "medium to high mass arm". I can find no reference on Google to the mass of these arms.

The arm is here as well as the pic below:
http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-PUA-237.html

Cartridge link below.

Vinyl Engine also lists the cart at 30cm. This cart was shipped with the arm when new and is detailed and referenced in the user manual and weighs in at 15.5g.

Why in the world would Sony engineers mate a very high compliance cartridge like the VC-8E with 30cu on a "moderate to high mass arm"? I don't get it...I was always taught low mass arms mate well with both moderately high and very high compliance phono cartridges and moderate mass tonearms mate well with moderate to low compliance cartridges.

I have the original manual for the arm and it lists 9cps for vertical resonance and 11cps for lateral resonance. Again, I have been advised by people in the know this arm is a "medium to heavy mass" arm, if that's true, why would Sony match this cartridge with this arm.

I don't get it---what am I missing? Could people have misjudged the arms mass?

Thanks all.

• The cartridge (click on specs button at bottom of page))   (Open in New Window)

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