Discuss The Viv Lab Rigid Arm

@dover 

They claim that the pivoted headshell deals with needle chatter.

I think this is exactly the point.  I find the term "mistracking" quite vague and have yet to fine a "firm" definition of it.  On the most basic level mistracking is any movement of the stylus that is not in the direction of the path made by the cutterhead.  I do believe we are constantly mistracking and how the system deals with that behavior is critical to both the final sound and ultimate wear on a record over time.  The net results of any mistracking are two fold; sonic degradation in the immediate and stylus/record wear in the long term.

  Unfortunately this is not something that can be distilled down to the TAE being the "only number we have" so that is all that matters approach taken by some in this discussion. We first have to accept that for a given cartridge there is a distinct possibility that the sonic results of a 5° TAE will not be equivalent from tonearm to tonearm and I think that is the point that many who use and like the underhung arms are trying to make.  

Is it possible to reverse the headshell 180 degrees with the RS and run a trailing pivoted headshell ?? Could be interesting.

Interestingly enough... I see two distinct problems with the concept of the RS-A1.  Being able to align a stylus to a hidden uni-pivot bearing 17mm above it is a challenge and then only being given three pair of mounting holes at 6mm increments makes the concept of the pivot directly above the stylus a near impossibility.  That said, when eyeballing it I have always picked the slots that error on  trailing side since the thought of the stylus leading the pivot terrifies me. Of most importance the sound has never given me the feel that there was severe misalignment which lead me to much of my thinking above.

dave

Interesting ideas. I have a RS Labs headshell. Need to give it a try on the Viv arm.

Mijo, what “law of physics “ is violated by an underhung tonearm? ( I won’t specify the RS Labs or the Viv, just the principle of an underhung tonearm with zero headshell offset angle.)

Dear @lewm and dear friends: You answer with a question instead to first answer my question because was you who posted that statement.

Which the " best " way for the cartridge can ride the LP groove modulations and at the same time pick up all " the reporded signal " in those modulatiuons?

Obviously that’s through a LT tonearm that in theory has not TAE and the cartridge will rides those critical modulations.

Next to that could comes the pivoted overungh tonearms that comes more or less with a maximum 1.5° on TAE.

I’m not talking of tracking distortions only that the stylus tip be in " perfect " alignment with the groove modulations to pick up the information. It’s obvious that a TAE of 1.5° does not permits to pick up 100% information very near but not what a LT can does.

Those for me is where we have to start before all those generated distortions of every kind.

Now, we have the VIV underhung tonearm that according Yamaha has not 3° or 5° but nothing less than 10° where the stylus tip just can’t pick up the recorded information in the same way, with the VIV what we listen is away from the recording comparing a 1.5° TAE tonearm or LT.

For me is more important what the cartridge can pick up that all the other " things " surrounded till we listen that LP modulations.

@melm posted that for him in his VIV the sounds is better than in the normal pivoted tonearm and that affirmation just can’t be true because to start the cartridge in the VIV can’t pick up ennough information ! ! !

My take is that the overall issue is about accuracy where 0° TAE in a LT is the champ, next that 1.5°  stylus tip TAE not accurated but the next nearest about and the that 10° stylus ti TAE than just can't rides adequated those groove modulations in the LP. What follow those facts has " no importance " till we understand where is the begin for.

R.

My goodness me, this thread has grown arms and legs.

As you know I have a 9" Viv Labs, the only people that can comment with any authority is those people that have heard one, once heard you can draw your own conclusions.

For information the place I bought mine from is the designer and manufacturer of Living Voice speakers and I know that Kevin Scott is highly regarded within the industry and is good friends with Frank Kuzma. I know for a fact that he has tried numerous arms, included some of the arms lorded by others in this thread and decided against them for no other reason than how they performed. What I am certain of there is no way he would promote or sell a product that he did not believe in.