Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?

@ct0517 - I'm interested in your comment about setting the ET for highest vertical inertia. How do you accomplish that? I've had the Kuzma Airline for at least a dozen years and remain happy with it (the only issues have been compressor related and now that I have a relationship with the SIL folks here in Texas, I've pretty much solved that problem, though it does require more maintenance than a conventional arm). Bass? Not in your face, thwacking slam. But if it is on the record, you will hear it. There is something very 'unmechanical" sounding about these arms. I did have an ET that was given to me many years ago, but never got around to setting it up. Herb Wolfe, who only recently passed away, was supplying a lot of the pumps and hardware to the NY audio mafia back in the day. He was a very cool guy. 

The ET is a phenomenal tonearm and I can’t believe it sells for as little as it does. It just pulls out that much more natural detail and subtle soundstage cues which tells me it’s allowing the cart to do its job. 
I run a portable construction compressor into a water separator into a regulator. It provides me with a half hour play time with a 2 minute run time. Arm is rock solid, never goes out of adjustment. 

Hi Whart

@ct0517 - I'm interested in your comment about setting the ET for highest vertical inertia. How do you accomplish that?

The Eminent Technology tonearm comes with four counterweights and it is quite easy to remove enough weight, so that the lightest weight resides at the very end of the I Beam. Highest Vertical Inertia.  In recent years due to our demand and interest, Bruce introduced an I Beam that is now in the length he originally intended it to be. Due to constraints with - Dustcovers - from tables it was partnered with, he had to go with a shorter I Beam in the original design. The longer I beam now reduces the weight requirements by half still - increasing vertical inertia even more. 

The Setup Issue  
in learning how to use this unique design, most people, including me in the beginning, just used all four weights in setup, and let all the weight reside on I beam, wherever it ended up based on the VTF needed. This is wrong, and sometimes the weights ended up very close to the Air Bearing spindle - not ideal, and goes against the setup design.   

****************************

On the Airline from what I recall you are provided with two counterweights with the Kuzma ? Correct me if wrong. Try to do set up so that the lightest counterweight is furthest back on the rod. I don't know if two weights give enough option to run this way.  

Anyone looking to setup an ET 2.0 or 2.5 should upgrade to the longer I beam. Bruce also now offers a new Solid aluminum Mounting Plate and Joint (we call it the Gooseneck). they replace the Carbon Fiber versions.  

Analogluvr
The ET is a phenomenal tonearm and I can’t believe it sells for as little as it does

Bruce' pricing is consistent with his other products. he has never been part of Audiophile Markup strategies you see elsewhere. Personally I don't consider $5000 US,  without a pump cheap ? But, if it was being sold in Europe, I am pretty sure it would be selling with a 2 -3 times markup on top.

bdp24
Chris’ (ct0517) assertion that high vertical moment-of-inertia produces the best bass is to me, a user of London (Decca) cartridges, VERY interesting. That cartridge exhibits far lower vertical compliance than horizontal, which aligns well with a pickup arm exhibiting higher vertical m-o-i, no?

Bdp24

Hi Eric. Its not really my assertion. Its the way the arm was designed to run from its maker. My personal experience in running the vinyl rig alongside Master Tape Dubs (running 10 seconds behind) and switching between them helped confirm it for me. My Studer would out perform my vinyl when I first got it. Now the Studer is in need of hot rodding, if I was so inclined as my Vinyl Rig matches it or (better) as it can be tuned. This made me stop looking for tapes. I use the Studer now with the tapes I did buy as a reference point.  

Regarding cart compliances, all ET 2.0, 2.5 I beams come with either a single, double, or (triple) leaf spring to deal with different compliance cartridges. The leaf spring by design isolates the counter weights from the air bearing spindle. High compliance - single leaf spring, and so on. Most of us use the double leaf spring on our I Beams.

If my stocks were doing better 8^((( , and our dollar exchange wasn't so bad, (everyone sells in US dollars), I would maybe have some cash to look at the decca next as a cartridge.

So forget that and I will just continue to plod through my music library.