The Mutech RM Kanda Hyabusa


Anyone out there have this cartridge? Very intriguing design ala Transfiguration. Impedance is 1.5 ohms, Output 0.45mV, Compliance is not listed. $4500 and you get a two week trial period. Neat.  http://mockingbirddistribution.com/mutech-cartridges/
128x128mijostyn
Michael Fremer is a perspicacious listener and good reporter, but on technical terms, he is often weak.  In the case where he criticized at least one linear tracker for high lateral effective mass, I believe he was parroting some other guru.  You can find "experts" on both sides of that question, and I am not saying I know better than any of them, but merely that the proof has to be in the pudding, for linear trackers one by one.  Sure, the Reed and the Schroeder are intriguing in terms of addressing that one issue, but they have other possible issues related to bearing friction etc.  I agree with you about inserting parameters into the equation for resonant frequency; we are usually kidding ourselves that we know the values of M and C with any degree of accuracy, for that tonearm and that cartridge we are using at that moment.
Let me preface by saying that the Terminator replaced a SME V and it was not even close. Now the SME V is not a Schroeder, but for the Terminator to outperform a veteran arm is, to me, impressive. And I also plead guilty to not appreciating many of the finer technical points in question. But the observation of lateral swaying of a linear tracker was one of the issues that concerned me when I started with the Terminator. As I have posted on my Terminator forum, recent experimentations on surge and soothing tanks have yielded tremendous sonic benefits. One of the physical manifestation of increased air flow regulation is...... almost no swaying. I observe perhaps less than 1mm right to left movement. At least on this particular 'defect' of a linear tracker, a solution has been found to overcome it.
The Terminator is a thousand dollar arm! Everything that has been suggested for comparison is in the 5x to 10x category. I would say that the Terminator is an over-achiever, regardless of tonearm type, and leave it at that.

But back to the OP, in re-reading the other posts, the Hyabusa was compared to the top-of-the-line MSL. I would love to hear more testimonies and observations from users, please!
Yes ~ A wonderful cartridge! Into the Sutherland Big Loco transimpedance phono its performance is musically sublime.
I really like a dynamic performance so I plan on moving over to a current mode phono stage and low impedance cartridge. I really like the Lyra Atlas and the impedance is a lowish 4.2 ohms but the lower the better and The Mutech is one of three or four cartridges with very low impedance and there are not a lot of reviews on it yet.

The Terminator has the same problem that other arms of it's type
have. I have seen it do it. Consequently lewm I would never consider  one. As for friction, the Reed has the same friction as any other arm. The Schroder actually has less friction horizontally than any other arm assuming it has decent bearings. It is a brilliant design for this reason. Friction of the stylus in the groove pulls the arm forwards as the arm has no offset. Because the horizontal bearing is off on a lever arm this forward pull is magnified pulling the mechanism forward. The magnetic guide has no friction at all. The pull overcomes any friction further reducing any side forces on the stylus. So, which one would you get, the wooden arm version or the magnesium arm version sold by Xact Audio? 
Which current drive phono stage do you plan to buy?
I am hardly in a position to argue you should by a Terminator tonearm.  I decided long ago that no matter how great linear tracking tonearms might be, I don't want to bother with the pumps, filters, noise, etc, associated with their use.  If I did decide to put up with it, I would indeed place the Terminator at the top of my list for its brilliant design and modest cost.  That lack of pumps and other paraphernalia is to me what makes the Schroeder LT and maybe the Reed most tempting.  Anyway, I would be interested to learn how it goes with whatever current drive phono you select.  I have long been hooked on the BMC MCCI, as an idea.