Hadcock Tonearms

[dragan]

Looking for opinion on these tonearms. Any personal experience etc.. Good? Bad? I found a fine specimen - Oracle Delphi MkIII and am looking to dress it up and came across a number of good reviews of Hadock arms. I also wonder how it would match Oracle.

Appreciate your help.

[tmazz]

Sorry, I can't help you with any info on Hadock arms, but I did have a friend who was an Oracle dealer for 20+ years and his Delphi floor model was always fitted with an SME V.

[dragan]

Thanks.. No surprise there. SME has been making arms for Oracle for years and are pretty well known match. I had them and loved the combo.. just about every Oracle I had, was paired with an SME arm.

Now though, because of my "casual" approach to analog, I don't intend on spending $$$. As much as I love analog, however man times I invested a bundle, I simply never had enough time for it. Knowing that and knowing that I still love it, I'd like to keep the cost down and then it wont bother me so much in case the table just sat there.. seldom used.

[tmazz]

Just looked up Hadcock arms on A'gon. I bet you could get a used SME 309 (Not a V, but certainly in the same family) for what you would have to pay for a Hadcock.

[dragan]

I wouldn't mid that at all.. Had the 309, pretty decent arm.. One reviewer though, thought Hadcock beat the crap out if SME 3 series...

Another thing - have you checked the new retail pricing for SME? I talked to my buddy, a dealer, SME V is just about $7K now. Oracle SME 345 if I remember right, close to $3500.. I forget what he said for SME 309. Must be over $2k.

Not that I'm set on Hadock, far from it, I made this post to get some opinions on it as I don't have a clue, but form what I can tell, one can be had for only a few bucks..

Benesch ACT 0.5 is what I really would like to get. I had it on my last Oracle, MkV, long time ago and just loved it.

Good suggestion though and I'll keep my eyes open for 309 too. Pretty solid piece.

[BobM]

I was looking closely at Hadcock's a few years ago. They look like nice arms and have lots of admirers and good reviews. I was limited by the tonearm length - I didn't want to have to drill the plinth in another location for mounting and the Hadcock's were in the ballpark length-wise. I wound up going with a Moerch DP6 though and am a very happy camper.

[tmazz]

I wouldn't mid that at all.. Had the 309, pretty decent arm.. One reviewer though, thought Hadcock beat the crap out if SME 3 series...

I don't doubt that, but keep in mind that an SME 3 series arm is a very different animal from the 300 series.

The SME 3 series was a thin S-shaped arm.....




While the 300 Series arms are straight tapered arms more representative of the Series IV  & V arms that the older Series III. very different animals. (The 309, 310 & 312 are 9, 10 & 12 inversions of the same arm.)




I know SME is getting really big bucks for new arms (although the prices may be falling soon because of the way the Euro is dropping.) But in the last few months I have seen some used Series IV & V arms going on A'gon for some really crazy prices ($1500 and down!)

[dragan]

Man oh man.. I found a WB Full Circle on Agon and asked the seller if he'd just sell the arm, a categoric NO came back. Relatively cheap combo, $1850, but I don't think I want to get stuck with a table I don't need. Too bad..

I think I'll stick with 309 and WB ACT 0.5 for now.. If you guys happen to catch one, shoot me an email.