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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
vair68robert
625 posts
 
madavidO

No they are not .  
Now lets use equipment prices as examples ,
an amp can cost $2,000 or $200,000  a 100x increase .
speakers can be the same 100x increase 
but a $1,000 tonearm or the top of the line Graham Engineering 
for $15,000 is only a 15x increase , So NO they are not a rip off 
in relative terms .

You didn't even bring up size or arm changeability .




folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
@vair68robert you may need to expand your range of tonearms values. Top of the range SATs are currently $53K for the 12” and a Durand Telos with sapphire base is $75K so the top end of the market is well served 😉
madavid0 OP
214 posts
 
The price difference between, say, a Schiit Vidar ($700) and a D'Agostino Progression is about 3,000%. The audio performance difference is of course night and day -- in terms of an arbitrary numeric factor maybe somewhere around 500% better? The value isn't the issue; there are people who think the value proposition is acceptable, therefore it can't be considered to be a "ripoff".

If there was no audible difference between the Vidar and the Progression, we could definitely say that in regards to audio performance the D'Agostino is a ripoff.

Since there is a large and clear audible difference between the two amps mentioned above we can't call the more expensive one a ripoff in regards to audio performance.

Now let's take two tonearms, the Audiomods V and the Durand Kairos. The price difference is very large, easily around 500-600%. Now, from an audio perofmance perspective is there a meaningful difference? How much better does the Kairos sound -- 100%, 50%, 10%, 2% ? Assuming both arms are well-matched to the cartridge in question, IS THE KAIROS A RIPOFF?

lewm
13,142 posts
 
Folkfreak, if what you say is true about the cost of the 12 inch SAT tonearm, then one really ought to buy one as soon as possible. Because at its current rate of appreciation, it is a great investment. Every time anyone writes about it, the cost is greater than the last time anyone Road about it. But as far as the OP goes, he is just looking to make waves.
lewm
13,142 posts
 
Wrote, not “Road”.
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