Oregon, I'm the owner of the RS-A1 referenced above and there's not really much I can add to Dave's excellent description. The only direct comparisons I've made in my own system have been with an ET 2 air-bearing arm and an RB 300. It bested both of these arms in sound quality although it may be a pinch lighter in the bass than the Rega. It is also ridiculously easy to set up (which was a real change from the ET 2) and Dave is correct when he says it can't be compared to a linear tracker despite the "swiveling" headshell.
One of the attributes the arm does have in common with the ET 2 and other linear trackers is the lack of inner groove distortion (at least to these ears). The midrange and treble are nimble and extended, and the whole range is ligtning quick. I would say the RS-A1 is the tonearm equivalent of my Quad ESL 57 speakers, although with more extended treble as confirmed by listening to it in another system.
As Dave also pointed out, the caveat is ease of use (or lack threof). I had five mishaps the first week trying to get the cartridge into the lead grooves (even with the use of an ingenius "dental cueing aid" Dave came up with), and a robust cartridge is initially recommended. I'm much better at it now (no fumbles in two weeks), but I still need to stay focused and normally switch to digital media if I've had a few drinks :-). For this reason (and this reason alone), I'm still evaluating whether I'll be keeping the arm long-term.
P.S. I seriously doubt you will find any used in the $500 range. The best price I can remember seeing in the past year was around $900.
One of the attributes the arm does have in common with the ET 2 and other linear trackers is the lack of inner groove distortion (at least to these ears). The midrange and treble are nimble and extended, and the whole range is ligtning quick. I would say the RS-A1 is the tonearm equivalent of my Quad ESL 57 speakers, although with more extended treble as confirmed by listening to it in another system.
As Dave also pointed out, the caveat is ease of use (or lack threof). I had five mishaps the first week trying to get the cartridge into the lead grooves (even with the use of an ingenius "dental cueing aid" Dave came up with), and a robust cartridge is initially recommended. I'm much better at it now (no fumbles in two weeks), but I still need to stay focused and normally switch to digital media if I've had a few drinks :-). For this reason (and this reason alone), I'm still evaluating whether I'll be keeping the arm long-term.
P.S. I seriously doubt you will find any used in the $500 range. The best price I can remember seeing in the past year was around $900.