chakster
I do think the basic Lustre design was imaginative and showed potential, and could have been improved upon if the manufacturer had ever sought to correct its flaws. But that never happened, even as the competition kept improving.
Could you explain what do you mean by "better geometry" of GST-801? ... I also don't understand what do you mean by "not getting the counterweight in the same plane as the record" ? Look at the counterweight here.As with many common arms, the Lustre/Acos didn't get the counterweight on the same plane as the record, and that is shown in your link. Pickup arms such as the SME V, the Triplanar, and the Reed 3P that you use get that right. That improves tracking, and helps stabilize VTF under dynamic conditions.
My sample was not a NOS one, that's the problem, some tiny screws are missing, but nothing serious.I'd wager that it's the exceptional Lustre/Acos sample today that doesn't have missing screws and parts. It's nice that you don't think that's serious and enjoy the performance of your arm, but I simply don't have patience for things that fall apart, especially pickup arms. Mine started to fail after just a couple of years of light use. The SME V, however, has performed in my system without incident since around '92.
I do think the basic Lustre design was imaginative and showed potential, and could have been improved upon if the manufacturer had ever sought to correct its flaws. But that never happened, even as the competition kept improving.