Linear Tracker ...I was wondering

@mijostyn
As entertaining as I find your posts, for me to continue to share direct experience information on this public chat forum thread, with someone replying to my posts based on theories, and no direct experience. (that’d be u) You need to show me a desire to learn and in this case, the ability to think outside the box.

I recommended that you go to the Eminent Technology website, download the ET2 owners manual and breeze through it. That would get you to at least 1st base, and I bet you would learn a lot too. Another option is to go to Florida and see the tonearm in action directly at Bruce’ factory. No, Bruce did not stop making it as you say. He also supplies parts as needed. A tonearm, whose basic design has not changed since the 80’s and is still SOTA. Whats the word again, for audio products that last that long ?

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For the Op and readers of this thread
Here is a short video on the Sonus Blue Gold cartridge I referred to earlier - whose compliance is 50 x 10-6cm/Dyne, and is set at 1.24 gms VTF. Many feel only the stiffest of carts can work on a air bearing linear tracker. They haven’t used an ET 2.

The ET 2.0 HP in room 2 - Aluminum armwand and single leaf spring counterweight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-AqjI2B1uY

https://photos.app.goo.gl/CQdPMuBW1JFN7Npk9

... nor a Trans-Fi T3Pro. I also have a Sonus Blue Gold, works without issues whatsoever, on eccentric records as well.

^^^

works without issues whatsoever, on eccentric records as well.

myself
I would not put my cartridge on a badly made record, for the same reason I would not take my 993 to the Rubicon. The Cartridge is the victim of bad analog setup.

If the music means that much to someone fix the record.

Harold, I was of course referring to full 360 captured air bearings in the previous post.  
Cheers

If it were me looking to get into linear tonearms I would go with a turntable that was designed for that.

Sony's direct drive PS-x555 would be in that price range.
If able to spring for a tad more... the PS-x800 is tits-on-a-ritz.

To put a linear arm on an existing table like the Technics... not sure available linear arms in the price range you're looking at would be worth doing... as far as any improvement on the pivot arm the 1200 came with.

To put a linear arm on a table it simply needs to... outperform all other comparably priced arms. Assuming of course that sound quality is your goal. I have little reason to believe that is the case.

Because, if it were, then people would be talking about sound quality. Which they are not. Instead it is all tech bs.

When it comes to tech, here's all you need to know: the one and only advantage is tracking error. 
So just how big a problem is tracking error?

Every pivoted arm ever made is designed to track correctly at only two points. All the rest of the time its off. It just is, they are all like that, and all the rest- everything from arm length to Baerwald or whatever- is noise. Pivoted arms are off, they do have tracking error, and this is a weakness and a fault.

Satisfied? Good.

Now we got that settled, next question: So how important is this, anyway?

Not very. Hardly. If that.

Reason I say that is, and hate to repeat myself but, these things track accurately at two points on every record. Now everyone, both sides, got a question: how many people you know have ever said or even heard anyone say, "Man I can hardly wait for that first little bit of the record where it sounds so awesome because of the lack of tracking error?" I'm gonna say zero.

For sure I have never heard it. And with all the hoopla about arms, and being a guy who is willing to spend whatever makes sense BUT NOT ONE DIME MORE I would be all over a linear tracker if there was any, and I do mean any, merit to it. I could not care less what or how its made. Only how it sounds. For the money.

So I listen and you know what? Cannot for the life of me hear anything that varies anything like tracking error. And I hear all kinds of stuff. Demagnetizer. Anti-static spray. Minute differences between two copies of the same record. Heck last night I stuck a measly little 1" by 1/4" strip of fo.q tape on my arm and was thrilled at the improvement. Thrilled! So if there was anything - ANYTHING!- to be gained with linear tracking I would ditch my Conqueror in a NY minute.

But no. It sounds beautiful. All across the record. Side after side.

Linear tracking is the playground of technophiles. Not audiophiles. Don't kid yourself. Whatever you are after, it ain't sound quality.