Discuss The Viv Lab Rigid Arm

lewm

Red herring. I am not using a spring-suspended TT.

Again, understood. I’m talking about the arm in general and remember, I’m one of the guys who isn’t questioning your assessment of this arm.

... if you are saying that you use a SOTA or other spring-suspended TT ...

Nope. From what I’ve read about the Viv arm, it would be no problem putting it on my VPI TNT. I’m just talking about the arm generally.

I know you will say it’s not bolted down and therefore won’t make you happy

Good grief. You obviously haven’t been reading the favorable comments I’ve been making about both this arm and the users such as you that refuse to allow specs and stereotypes to cloud their judgment.

@lewm, I will leave the last word for you. I'm done with this thread, where even positive comments are subject to attack.

I enjoy a spirited exchange, and I do apologize if my responses were offensive. I do appreciate your open-mindedness regarding the tonearm itself or at least my opinion of it. 

Maybe this indicates that zero tracking angle error is not the Holy Grail some claim it to be.

That's the designer's whole point, right?

I suspect there are a few other things at play here beyond the TAE vs. skating force.  From personal experience I can say that 3° TAE error on a conventional overhung setup is vastly different in sonic character than the same error on the 9" Schröder reference I set up as a 0 offset underhung arm.  I purposely chose 3° TAE since it is beyond properly setup traditional tonearm error but guaranteed to occur on any underhung design.

dave

Except where there’s a pre-existing zenith error of > or = 3 degrees. In that case even an overhang may have a >3 degree net TAE error.

@intactaudio 

OK now I'm remembering you speculating above that what some might call the 
"slop" of the magnetic bearing in the Viv might be a benefit. Is there similar play in the Shroeder bearing? I used to have a Model 2 with string bearing but I remember the magnets kept it more rigidly in place than on the Viv.