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Tonearms: Ripoff?

If you search for tonearm recommendations you'll find an overwhelming amount of praise for $1k and less products. Audiomods and Jelco are the two most mentioned.

The Audiomods is just some guy making Rega-based tonearms in a workshop. Just some guy is putting out tonearms that compete with tonearms that cost many times the price -- from the likes of SME, Clearaudio, VPI, Graham, etc.

So the question is -- are tonearms just a scam? How is it that everyone loves Audiomods and Jelco to death and never talks about / dismisses high end tonearms? Is it because there's no real difference between one of these low-cost tonearms and the high end ones? Is an Audiomods Series V ** really ** the equivalent of a SME V? Some guy in a workshop equals the famed precision of SME? Is that once you have the math and materials worked out all tonearms are essentially the same? Or is it that most owners of record players online are dumpster-diving for vintage gear and simply can't afford to listen to better?

So, what's going on?
madavid0
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
@sfischer1 while I agree with you on economics (i.e. that there is not nor should there be any relationship between materials costs and end product price, provided the manufacturer can make a product you can price to what the market can bear) but the OP's assertion was that the expensive tonearms were a "rip off" i.e. that they provided no improved performance over a sub $1K model and that any perceived improvement was down to the naivety of the buyer.

While I do not want to enter any discussion of what a marginal improvement in fidelity is worth (to some zero, to others a very large amount) my experience was that better tonearms, which are often costly, do deliver appreciable and definite benefits. Whether that is worth it to the buyer is of course her decision, personally I drive a basic car and spend my $ on audio, but everyone's preferences are their own
clearthink
1,421 posts
 

sfischer1"There is no rational basis for extraordinarily expensive anything."

There most certainly is and in actual fact and practice there are many very expensive items that can objectively, factually and rationally be justified that you do not see this suggests that you are confounded, confused or disoriented.
2channel8
758 posts
 
I clicked on this thread because I have a Sumiko MMT made by Jelco on my Oracle Alexandria and have been dreaming of an upgrade that will work within the specs imposed by my turntable. I was hoping for some informed, experience- based options. I hadn't noticed that the OP may not be. Why couldn't we all just have taken the high road and had that discussion? Without name calling? Just share data? Thank you to those of you who did take the topic seriously.

I am disappointed to say that so far, my conclusions have not changed; that is it will take a lot of money to get to a significantly better performance point and with my limited ability to hear very subtle differences; I'd probably end up with buyer's remorse. If anyone has any good suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. That's my problem: I can't leave well enough alone. ;^)
sfischer1's avatar
sfischer1
56 posts
 
clearthink, As an example, and as a recovered watch addict, people don’t justify expensive watches based on their time-keeping accuracy (rational), and the differences between different high-quality products can be described as minor. While the features of luxury products can be objective, they may not be practical or necessary, and it often comes down to the subjective outside of what is needed beyond food, clothing, and shelter stability. I can identify all sorts of objective improvements in performance and quality of my Bergmann turntable, but to my wife and most people, they aren’t rational. I have it, and those improvements matter because I want it.
jperry
2,450 posts
 
@2channel8,

My experience is that a Basis Vector 3 substantially outperformed a Rega 600 tonearm. I have owned a MMT in the past, and it was about on par with a Rega. Maybe one of the greatest improvements I made to my system. Everything was better especially the imaging and image stability/specificity.

I would not hesitate to upgrade my tonearm if I were you. Basis makes a great 9 inch tonearm. If you can find one used it can be a real bargain.
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