Discuss The Viv Lab Rigid Arm

I don’t understand your last post.

@pindac when you wrote:

I can't but help feel that the positive impression being made from use of the 'Viv' by @lewm, is additionally influenced by experiencing a Tonearm with an alternative Mechanical Interface, inclusive of methods for transferring/dissipating energy not seen in a conventional design. 

Are you suggesting it is the floating golfball in oil that is responsible for the sound that owners like, as it sounds like you don't think it is the geometry? If so, you might be right, but I'm doubtful. I don't want to start another, separate debate, but I suspect the various sorts of bearings and pivots available have smaller effects than a radically different tonearm geometry.

The question that should be central to all of this is which is the greater sin: TAE or added anti-skate force? And the only difficulty in answering what should be a simple question is that so few people have an underhung tonearm. Is that because they sound terrible, or because we have misunderstood something basic, that was not even considered when the architects of conventional tonearm protocols were at work? Just imagine the fun if the sainted Lofgren was given a blind listening test!

I won't get into the meat of your post, but the pivot is not a "floating golf ball". Because it is totally enclosed, in order to keep the magnetic oil bath from spilling, I cannot really see what's going on there, but I suspect it is a constrained unipivot, constrained by magnetism. It's definitely constrained, because you cannot jostle the arm wand by twisting, pulling, or pushing, so long as you use reasonable force.

Sorry, perhaps I described it incorrectly. But my question to @pindac still stands. (As does the rest.)

Dear @dogberry : "" The question that should be central to all of this is which is the greater sin: TAE or added anti-skate force? ""

Perhaps for you and other gentlemans that could think like you because for me it’s ( as always ) what is right or wrong and the why’s about. Your question came with out facts/why’s.

The main issue/subject for any cartridge/pivoted tonearm/LT is to pick up " all " the recorded audio signal in those LP groove modulations.

That means that before any other questions it need it to pick up that signal as nearer is posible and after that comes several set up parameters as : SRA, VTA, AZ, AS, Zenith , ideal resonance FR and the like.

As you I can ask: which is more important AS or VTA or tonearm damping or aluminum vs boron cantilevers or kind of tonearm bearing or tonearm build materials, ? ? ? 

Analog is not as " easy " as your question, never is. Full of imperfections that when you want to fix one of those imperfections you " touch " almost all other in a bad way.

Please use common sense about.

R.