Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?


Curious as to the demise and downfall of the seemingly short lived linear tracking TT.
Just from a geometry point of view I would have thought a linear arm should be superior to one with a fixed pivot that sweeps through an arc.
Obviously there is much more to it than that, sort of the reason for this thread.
I am genuinely interested in trying one out for myself as well.
128x128uberwaltz
I owned a Revox AND a Mapleknoll!  There's a reason why I've owned my LP12 for 28 yrs!;)
Glenn
The Pre Audio looks very interesting and a very fair price.

Anybody here actually own one?
ooooooh...so feeling the LTL here............. Linear Tracking Love.
You guys may just help me make it through winter. 8^0

Atmasphere
ct0517
When the air bearing arms came out I took a good look at them, as I spent a lot of time at our first dealership, who also carried the arm. It gained a reputation for eating cantilevers. Clearly whatever cartridge you are using is more durable- what are you using?

Atmasphere - are you referring to the ET2 ?
re" Dealerships and Pro reviewers on the ET2 specifically

Dealer setup.

Dealerships and Pro reviewers never got past base setup - call it a 6/10 on the audiophile sonics scale. This is obvious to an experienced ET2 person reading any review or visiting a dealership.  And still the tonearm ranks at the top of the sonics lists.

An example of this base versus advanced setup. The tonearm has a higher lateral mass and the design goal for setup is to get the highest vertical inertia. How do you do it ? You need to get past base setup. You set up the I beam for the highest vertical inertia. Now one can read the ET2 Tonearm Owners thread. The owners manual hints at it. A version 2 of the Et2 owners manual probably would have come out that described it in more detail, but like I said earlier, the ET2 came out same time as the CD and the demand probably did not warrant it for Bruce Thigpen

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Atmasphere
Clearly whatever cartridge you are using is more durable- what are you using?


The ET2.0 and 2.5 have no cartridge limits.  

The 2.0's resonances are ideal for higher compliance and 2.5's for lower compliance.

I have used everything from a 50 x 10-6cm/Dyne
Sonus Blue Gold

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vUkVYgZYdxign27L6

to a Benz Micro and Dyna XV1 .

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pSFYYp2uxPKvygpe6

Carts used by Et2'rs from one end of compliance to another are readily discussed on the ET2 thread.

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All air bearings are unique in their design. As one comparison to the Kuzma Airline for instance. See the parts circled.
   
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KRCAqT7itqdD89RX9

The manifold that houses the air bearing is Ground Zero.

Looking at the pic one can see the the Kuzma has a smaller manifold that actually moves with the armtube, and it needs its air line and wires for damping. Its meant for a lower compliance cart. Put a higher compliance on and well, not good...as I have heard from Lyra owners.

The ET2 is a different design entirely. Look at the pic again. It has a much larger "stationary" manifold. The air line is fixed to the stationary manifold, and the wiring is not needed for damping. This is why you see so many wire mods for the ET 2.0 and 2.5. But this is also where folks go wrong. If arranging the wiring the wrong way, it will influence the tonearm and cause lesser sonics, to mistracking due to the bearing being so slick. In comparison to the Kuzma Airline bearing, the ET 2.0 2.5 air bearing has been described as "very slippery" by those familiar with both.

Understanding these design differences will go a long way towards setup of both tonearms. If anyone is toasting carts on an ET2 they have no idea how to set it up.

Sounds to me like your dealers were Personality Type B...8^0.



Linear tracking is for you if you want to always be adjusting, fiddling, and modifying your setup, alignment and configuration and you are inclined, driven, and motivated to repeatedly make these system adjustments, alterations, and calibrations on an ongoing, consistent, and repeated basis.
Not necessary to constantly fiddle, with the Trans-Fi at least. However, most fiddles bring a reward, so the temptation is there. Also, with the Trans-Fi adjustments are stable, rather more stable than most conventional arms I have used.

@harold-not-the-barrel 

Good questions. Yes, I support the manifold with an arm bolted to an aluminum column, bolted to the plinth. Actually, I designed my TT to accept this mod, and so the air thrust bushing supporting the platter sits on a panzerholz plinth which is fixed to big blocks of steel. The aluminum column is bolted to one of these steel blocks. The Trans-Fi is bolted to the panzerholz plinth through another aluminum column.

The manifold is slightly extended with a machined aluminum piece which is epoxied into the vee of the manifold. This machined piece has a protruding shelf which accepts a #0-80 screw, which touches the new supporting arm. A 1/16 turn of this screw adjusts height by about 20 microns, acting over a distance of about 30cm (screw to manifold pivot), corresponding to an angle of 0.00007 radians, or about 15 seconds of arc. In practice, I use only about half of this resolution, so adjustments are +/- 30 seconds of arc, which is sufficient. The settings are stable.

I haven't found it necessary to damp the Trans-Fi's base - I think that the air cushion covers that. But I haven't tried it, so I don't really know.

Nice talking with you, Harold. All the best!