I don't explained well whar I really want mean:
when I said " grounded " I'm refering a mechanical grounded not electrical. Air bearing tonearm are " floating " and pivot ones are mechanical grounded and maybe this solid " grounded " bering/surface or whatever is what gives that overall " solidity " to that bass range against a vaccum bearing and I said: " seems to me ", only an opinion.
I use MM and MC cartridges and with my ET 2 90% of the time was with MC ones. Your information about is appreciated.
""" The erratic pivot arm, armtube behavior with the attached external wire .."""
I respect that Take Five people but I kow they have not real experiences with an external tonearm wire or at least not the right ones.
I try it this for the first time several years ago with my SAEC pivoted tonearms ( 506/8000 ) through the silver Van den Hul wires that gone directly from the cartridge output pins connectors to the phono stage inputs.
After that I tryed with other of my pivoted tonearms and with diferent silver wires including the almost non-existen silver Audio Note that are almost " mechanical resistence cero ".
So, that TF people have to try it again before give that kind of advise
Regards and enjoy the music,
R.