Fleib, The debate between Halcro and I was never ending and fruitless, so I abandoned it, probably to the relief of several. I would submit that you WANT the tonearm and bearing to be equally affected by outside disturbances of all kinds, so as to perturb the one with respect to the other as little as possible whilst the stylus, which is physically at one with the pivot of the tonearm does its business of tracing the groove, which is physically at one with the platter and bearing. That's my story, and I am sticking to it, along with a myriad of professionals in the business of designing, building, and selling turntables.
My thought experiment, which was mocked at the time by Halcro, is to imagine that you have to perform a delicate operation in a rowboat that is floating in the sea. Would it be easier to work accurately, if you have your project in the boat with you, such that the rocking of the boat will affect both you and your project equally and simultaneously, or in another boat floating independently beside you?
My thought experiment, which was mocked at the time by Halcro, is to imagine that you have to perform a delicate operation in a rowboat that is floating in the sea. Would it be easier to work accurately, if you have your project in the boat with you, such that the rocking of the boat will affect both you and your project equally and simultaneously, or in another boat floating independently beside you?