lewm

To comment on the observable design and construction of a tonearm without necessarily speculating on its putative sonic character is no sin ...

I don't think anyone here is debating that. What we're discussing are those who render what they consider absolute, definitive assessments based solely on specs or a photo or two. And that's just absurd.

I can bet you money that the first and second runs are already sold out and the waiting list is longer than a Chick-Filet line. 
Would I try it if I had the dough to be able to afford a $58,000 tonearm? I honestly don’t know. I don’t know how it feels to have that kind of money. Maybe to some people in the third world, what I spent on speaker cables is as obscene. 

I can bet you money that the first and second runs are already sold out and the waiting list is longer than a Chick-Filet line. 

Case in point - when Touraj Moghaddam launched the Vertere tonearm at US$35000 many years ago, he debuted it at the Hong Kong Hifi show and left the show with confirmed orders for at least 30 units.

 

 

These sorts of products have a very important function--they make purchases below their price seem more sane.  If you point to a $55,000 tonearm, your own purchase of a $5,500 seems more reasonable, after all, it is only one tenth the price of the SAT arm.

Dear @mijostyn  : About your concern of neutral balance, it's ok in theory but there are other really critical tonearm design issues to really try helps to the cartridge job and yes as you and @dover  as tighter the cartridge/headshell mount as the better.

 

I think that the main target for a tonearm designer is not only that the cartridge be hold and  makes the cartridge tracking ridding in the best way but its intrinsecal relationship between these to analog items and I'm refering how to put at minimum all the vibrations developed by the cartridge/LP ridding that holds by the tonearm where those vibrations pass through as the feedback and own tonearm self develped vibrations.

 

That's for me is the must critical issue that affects in way different directions and in reality are what puts each one tonearm colorations in what we are listening.

 

Yes, bearing type and design is crucial too but we have to remember that arm/cartridge/LP/TT/plattform function not only as a transducer but live in a way imperfect audio analog world where even the " air " that surrounded can have effects in the final performance.

 

Put at minimum the developed vibrations for me is the name of the game.

 

Here, again, the SAT designer/manufacturer white papers on rigidity, vibrations and resonance:

 

 

The saphire Kuzma arm wand confirm what is my take about.

In the other side as you I'm not a fan of the tonearm unipivot designs a for the same good reasons ( several ) that you already know and in the link that Mike posted is precisely an unipivot design and we can read manufacturer statements with out any kind of measures/facts that confirm those statements.

No, I don't listen it never but:

 

• Torsional motion feedback control in real time
• No bearing chatter
• High torsional stability
• Non-friction magnetic anti-skating
• Ultra low resonance armwand

 

In real time could means or not that that kind of control happens  when is happening ?

an unipivot is unstable but here the manufacturer says " high tortional stability ". What really means that under play?

 

ultra low ressonance arm wand. Well the best tonearms said the same.

 

Anyway, this unipivot looks as something to experience but any one of you can be sure that what you will sound with are only a different kind of colorations. How much different? I don't know but those differences  have a intrinsecal relationship with which cartridge is mounted, the room/system resolution and certainly with the MUSIC/sound targets/priorities of the tonearm owners.

 

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.