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Schroder sq and the new talea

I heard there was to be a fun time of learning and comparing of these two arms at the rmaf. Since the talea is relatively new, it still has to stand the test of time with comparisons on other tables, other systems and the selective and subjective tastes of discerning audiophiles! There is to be a comparison in one of the rooms at the rmaf this year, which i wasnt able to make. I would be curious to hear some judicial, diplomatic, friendly talk about how they compared to each other in the same system and room. I currently own the origin live silver mk3 with a jan allaerts mc1bmk2 and am enjoying this combo but have become curious about the more popular "superarms" Hats off to both frank and joel.

I hope this thread draws more light rather than heat. If someone preferred one arm over the other it would be OK. With all the variables it doesnt mean that much to me. What matters to me is what it sounds like to me and in my room. With that said...

What was your bias? was it for the schroder or the talea?

cheers!...
vertigo
dertonarm
1,042 posts
 
Dave, I think Atmasphere was not referring to "wear" when he noted the superior rigidity of the Triplanar vis a vis the Schroeder or Talea.
This is about the ability of a given tonearm to transfer energy ( mechanically .... but it has huge sonic impacts ).
The feature of being able to "adjust" a magnetic bearing and thus the produced "tone" may indeed sound attractive and tempting to some.
lewm
12,989 posts
 
DT, Herb Papier, inventor of the Triplanar, lived in Wheaton, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC. Hence the origin of the original full name of the tonearm. Triplanar moved to Minnesota after Herb died, so the "Wheaton" moniker is no longer appropriate.

The Triplanar has been my primary tonearm for 15 years. I like it very much, but I am perfectly willing to believe (i) that the overall excellence of phono reproduction depends nearly as much upon tonearm/cartridge matching as it does on the excellence of the tonearm design, and (ii) that some other tonearm design could be "better" using my favorite cartridges. I am happy to see that Talea, Reed, Schroeder are not afraid to attempt to advance the state of the art, and perhaps they have. We all benefit if these guys are successful. By the way, whither the Grandezza?
syntax's avatar
syntax
2,193 posts
 
... but I am perfectly willing to believe (i) that the overall excellence of phono reproduction depends nearly as much upon tonearm/cartridge matching as it does on the excellence of the tonearm design, and (ii) that some other tonearm design could be "better" using my favorite cartridges. I am happy to see that Talea, Reed, Schroeder are not afraid to attempt to advance the state of the art, and perhaps they have...

May I say, that dreaming or believing has nothing to do with knowledge, engineering and real quality from geometrics and material mix?
I am impressed, that the Statement "State-of-The -Art" is given so easily.

May I ask why? I think, their pricing is State of the Art and from what do we benefit if these guys are successful?
Empty wallet? I agree, then walking is a bit easier...and can someone please explain what do I have from a perfect cartridge/tonearm matching when the Arm itself is nothing special?
A real State-of-the-art Arm will give you better sonic results even with cartridges which are a bit outside of the 8-12 range. This is completely useless, too because wood, titan, composite, aluminum, tubes dampened inside, has total different energy transfer rates...or quality of bearing, ability to guide a cartridge etc.
thom_at_galibier_design's avatar
thom_at_galibier_design
729 posts
 
If someone develops a cure for testicular cancer and the solution took 5 years of development, involving 50,000 person hours, millions of dollars, and it requires $2,000.00 in materials to implement per patient, what is its worth to the cancer patient?

Of course in hi-fi, none of us has a gun pointed to our head, with our life on the line. We're debating angels on the head of a pin over luxury / aspirational items.

In all of these conversations, I grow just a wee bit weary of the naysayers who look at an elegant solution and try to ascribe a value based on not having been in the trenches, and not understanding how much effort was involved in arriving at the solution.

I have yet to find an elegant solution in hi-fi that doesn't involve simplicity, and the quote on the Galibier home page is my guiding principle:
"You know you've achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away."

... Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The simple, takes time, blood, sweat, and tears to arrive at and reminds me of a comment by Mark Twain:
"I would have written you a shorter letter, but I didn't have the time."

... Mark Twain

The proof is in the pudding ...

Cheers,
Thom @ Galibier
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,138 posts
 
Well said, Thom. Your sense of perspective and practicality are impressive. I hope I get a chance to meet you at RMAF 2011.
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