2. analog
  3. 130589-163

VPI 2nd Pivot for 3D

I just installed mine and discovering my old records anew.  I thought I knew everything there was to know on the original pressing of Fleetwood Mac's Rumers......but no - there's more.  You immediately hear a more solid bass, but then the dynamics hit hard.  It sounds like my amp is on steroids.  More cleanliness, - everything is better.  Very highly recommended.
128x128stringreen
moonglum
619 posts
 

Indeed Raul, there's no substitute for a satisfied user endorsement :)

It would be interesting to see a list of all designs that included a measure of compensation.

VPI have now joined this club and you mentioned the Graham series. I believe Frank Schroeder has also had a try at defeating the "Achilles heel".

Interestingly MF is no longer using a Cobra on his Continuum. Those duties are now shared between a 4-Point and the Swedish "SAT" tonearm ($28K - see here) :

https://www.stereophile.com/content/swedish-analog-technologies-tonearm

....which must make it a contender for the most expensive on the market?

Happy listening,

Bill.

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rauliruegas
13,103 posts
 
Dear @moonglum : FS. is a great designer and I forgot his tonearm designs.

I experienced the Kuzma 4-point and is very good design and can understand why MF use it. In the other side: can any one justify against quality level performance a 28K on tag for a " simple " tonearm?

Well, maybe I don't know.  Coming from a professional reviewer puts me ore doubts than certainty about.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
clearthink
1,421 posts
 
"If I remember the latest information about was by Dr. A:J Van denHul who measured 160° celcius between the stylus tip and groove"

This is another "funny fact" from Raul that is like his claim that VTF is "infinite" because the contact area of a stylus is "infinitely small" it sure must be a funny world Raul lives in with these "theories" that are "fantasies" that he insists are "facts." Such confusion about such basic things really makes me wonder whether Raul is aware of this confusion he loves to share as "facts" or whether Raul's problems are really much deeper than that in which case we should be feeling very sorry for Raul!
moonglum
619 posts
 
Dear Raul,
Perhaps the moderator should step in at this point...  ;)

Yes, I've only heard the SAT tone arm via 320kbps needle drops versus CDs etc but it presents a persuasive argument even if unattainable for the many. If there are hidden distortions in there I like them! ;) :)

BTW before I took early retirement, our thermal engineers constantly used thermal imaging cameras to analyse circuit boards and develop thermal maps. It's probably what VDH used to get an approximation of the stylus interface? They could be quite handy for troubleshooting too.

I recall an EMI chemist commenting on one forum that the melting point of some vinyl formulations was as low as 112C (I know, a bit nerve wracking for the steam cleaning brigade;)
Best regards,
Bill
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rauliruegas
13,103 posts
 
Dear @dodgealum : This video is from the Levinson tonearm and I hope that what we see between the the second 10 and the 16 second is not what happens with that fixed bearing tonearm manufactured by VPI:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTTLM9gPU9o

Anyway, the video is a very good fact that confirm what that those huge forces makes with the cartridge/tonearm and why unipivots are out of question.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.

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