Top linear trackers

@ledoux1238 I am aware of the Terminator and read a number of threads on it. Anyway, may I ask you: In your experience does the Terminator function better with lighter / higher compliance carts or the opposite?

@solypsa I am using a ZYX Ultimate Omega ( medium compliance, 12 ) and Audio Tekne MC-6310 ( med / high compliance, 20 ). These work very well with the Terminator.  My own experience has been limited to various  medium / high compliance cartridges. 

On a seperate thread, @terry9 reported that Koetsu RSP, 12g and low compliance, did not work with Terminator's aluminum arm wand. He then developed a heavier Panzerholz wand which then worked very well. And Someone is using a Clearaudio GFS, 16g, though med compliance. Due to Terry's experience, I have held off on venturing into low compliance territory. While I feel that the newer carbon fiber wand which I use should work with Koetsu's, I would think twice about putting a stone body Koetsu. 

Look at the manifold, an inverted ‘v’ as opposed to a circular tube in most other cases. It is an inherently more stable ( no tendency to roll ) platform for the cartridge / wand assembly to glide on.

Actually thats misleading. Although it uses parallel V extrusions which tend not to roll laterally, the Terminator uses a floating air bearing. If I hooked up a high pressure pump I could blow the arm off its rail. If there are any deviations in air flow this arm will bounce along the rail.

The Eminent Technology uses a far superior captured air bearing - the spindle runs through a manifold and air is forced around the tube applying pressure 360 degrees. This is far more rigid and stable - any deviation in air pressure at any point is met with a correcting force on the other side.

Not all "tube" air bearing arms are fully captured. Some have air holes only on the top side, which means there is no resistance to bottoming out.

I have an issue with arms like the Rockport & Kuzma where the air is forced into the moving arm - in my view this must play havoc with tracking force at a micro level because the plastic air hose will try to straight out under pressure, hence exerting vertical pressure on the arm.

With the Eminent Technology the air is piped into the manifold. There are no air lines connected to the moving arm/spindle.

@ledoux1238

If you really want to make a substantial upgrade to your front end you should investigate the Eminent Technology ET2/ET2.5 - even an old ET2 low pressure will trounce the Terminator - I’ve heard both - there is no comparison.

The ET has a decoupled counterweight system that can be tuned to the cartridge compliance - you can run anything on it from Decca's to high compliance Shure V15's.

@dover I am a big fan of Bruce Thigpen. I own a pair of LFT 8bs’. The initial idea for purchasing the Terminator was to use it as a linear tracking starter kit with the intention of upgrading to the ET-2.5s’. Well I haven’t gotten to the upgrade just yet. 

If you have compared both arms some years back and came to the conclusion of ET2.5’s superiority, then I would submit that the Terminator has also improved over the years. The new carbon fiber wand, a new brass manifold, an after- market arm base developed by the late Owen Young of NZ have all added to the Terminator’s improved SQ. And if  you discard the generic 1 gallon (4.5 liter) surge tank for a total air filtration volume of 150 liters, then it is a very improved Terminator that you might not have really listened to.

However, having said all that, I believe I will end up with a ET 2.5. I just do not look forward to experimenting with pump / compressor ( high pressure as opposed to low pressure of the Terminator) and filtration, not to mention just getting to understand the arm as I am a very slow learner.

@ledoux1238

For my ET 2.5, I use a shop compressor located in my garage. I ran an air line to my listening room (standard NPT 1/4" fittings) that runs into a water trap/filter and into a precision low pressure regulator. From there I have a barb that fits standard fish tank air line that goes into the ET manifold. I also run the pneumatic actuators on my VPI TNT 4 thru another precision low pressure regulator. Oh, and also an air gun for dusting off a third regulator. Once set up, there isn’t much to worry about other than cleaning off the spindle periodically. I run the ET at around 12-15PSI most of the time. Going higher doesn’t seem to improve the sonics, and can be problematic, as the pressure escaping the manifold can sometimes blow the spindle assembly back off the runout groove.