Comparison of sonic qualities of some tonearms
I’m relatively new to the world of vinyl, listening seriously for probably only 2 years. Of course, many big picture items (e.g. turntable, phono stage, cartridges) are discussed extensively on this forum, but I haven’t seen much discussion comparing different tonearms. I would be interested to hear about different people’s experiences with different tonearms, mentioning the audible advantages and disadvantages of each tonearm, realizing that there is no perfect sound, although from what I read about others’ experiences, SAT tonearms may come closest, albeit at a very high price.
In the business i was in, understanding that tolerance stack is a two edge sword… there are so very many variables to consider…. chasing the dragon , catching a fleeting glimpse and then codification of whatever ritual of the hunt that got you “ there “… is always risky… I have stopped obsession w LP unique VTA…. I also am glad products like Safir exist… |
@jollytinker Yes, actually. It was a MSL Platinum signature on a Saphir mounted on a CS Port turntable and the 4 point was on a Kuzma R. Now, this was at a friend's house and he feels the Saphir sounded better. He's a lot more impressionable than I am. Anybody can make a fat tonearm wand out of synthetic sapphire. I want to see one made out of boron. @lewm You and I absolutely agree to a T on azimuth. I line the diamond up at 90 degrees and forget about it. Done that for 55 some odd years. Fozgometer my backside. As an aside (@terry9 might like this). I was listening to a cartridge I had owned for about 6 months, a Corina Round album, Tigermending, I was thinking that the album's production was not as good as I had thought it was when I started to hear mistracking. I got up immediately expecting to see a wad of dust or something strangling the stylus. Nothing, clean as a whistle, but the stylus looked funny. I got out my magnifier and a flashlight to have a look. Let's say in the normal record playing position a stylus is pointed at 6 oclk. Looking from the front this one was pointed at 8 oclk. Otherwize the stylus and cantilever looked perfectly normal. The cantilever had rotated in the suspension, somebody forgot the cement I guess. I took a picture of it under the microscope and sent it to the company. They immediately sent me a new cartridge and a shipping label for the old one. The thing is, I seriously doubt that stylus rotated abruptly. It slowly shifted under the various forces at play until it got to the point I noticed it, about 60 degrees off axis. The system sounded much better when I put another cartridge in, but that was an abrupt change. The stylus shifting slowly was not. It happen so slowly I did not notice. However, it is important to note that the cartridge's internals were all in proper alignment with the record and it was still getting a stereo signal up until it misstracked and that is when the shoulder of the stylus hits the groove wall. The stylus was a modern fine line of the type used by Lyra and My Sonic Lab. It has a more rounded tip and the fine line continues a ways up each side. If anyone thinks they can hear a stylus (I did not say cartridge) a few degrees off vertical they have much better hearing than I. My stylus gets an easy 40 degrees. |
It remains of interest how all is still remaining centred around design and Brand, where the subject content is all about what is material and tangible. Neuroplasticity, as a result of environmental impact on the Amygdala can't be discounted, and especially how each individual is absolutely unique in how environment influences their overall person and steers them in relation to choices being made. Obviously some choices do have a associated cost, if wanted to be maintained as an experience and continued influence. |
