Discuss The Viv Lab Rigid Arm

I'm with @lewm 

It is a wonderful place to arrive at during an investigation, when all that is wanted is to forget the lot and just kick back and listen to the result. 

@lewm  :  It is totally obvous for any audiophile that that " special "/different sound quality is due to tonearm/cartridge big angle error over the LP groove modulations.

I mentioned that bearing low tonearm friction only because the designer says it's one of his main targets but for me that he said that is not totally trust information but untrusty one when he does not shows the tonearm measured bearing friction and due that he only " talk and talk " permit me to think that maybe he never measured and only a good  " desire ".

Anyway, the real fact is that you like that special sound ( as you named. ) as many other owners even that the reproduction is " untruer " to the recording in comparison with a normal tonearm.

R.

Sure. Whatever you say.  That must be why I also like the 3160.

@lewm : Please don’t misunderstood my words. I posted that I’m trying to understand/figure out or look a " rational " explanation to know why you like it, not other gentlemans but you. I’m not trying to diminish your self capacities or your system, I really trust in you and that’s why I’m following posting in the thread

At this moment my take is simple: the cartridge does not knows what it’s tracking does not knows ( and does not cares. ) about that angle " error ". What is doing is just tracking the LPs groove modulations and that it’s doing with no audible distortions. Audiophiles like me are questioning that high tracking angle error and yes it’s a high angle error against an Löfgren A/B alignment but here we have a way different kind of alignment that necessary will produce a special/different kind of quality sound levels a sound NEW for you and other VIV owners. So you are listen to a total  NEW experience ( I could say new " LPs " ) and I believe you when you said that like you.

New LPs because it's your first time to listen those modulations with different angle stylus tip tracking as what you and many of us are accustomed to listen our LPs.

That different TAE in the VIV is big ( vs normal alignments. ) but seems not big enough to cause mistracking or audible distortions, the cartridge tracking capacities ( yours and others. ) have no problem to track almost all LP’s groove modulations mounted in the VIV.

Yes still untruer to the recording but if we have not audible higher tracking distortions and or you don't detect yet that are " missing " tiny kind of signal recorded information then ( as alwaYS ) IS A PERSONAL CHOICE.

Could be a good thing to calculate the VIV tracking distortion levels.

In this alignment subject I'm orthodox/dogmatic due that my main target is to stay truer to the recording, so till today no VIV for me. If I want it to " improve "/change the LPs colorations I'm accustom too then I will follow the @mijostyn  example/experience adding a digital processor/Eq. to my system that I'm not yet willing to do it.

R.