Comparison of sonic qualities of some tonearms

In my opinion, yes some tonearms are better than others intrinsically, but in discussing sound quality it is impossible to separate arm from cartridge. So there will be a wide divergence of opinion, when you ask about how a tonearm sounds.

@lewm

If not many people change out tonearms for use with the same cartridge, then you would be correct, and that may account for the lack of response in this thread: no one, or very few, has this experience with tonearms…but perhaps some do, and will be willing to comment…although audio dealers would probably be the only ones with extensive experience, switching out tonearms for clients on the same turntable with the same cartridge.

A good tonearm will not have any sound of it's own. It will limit discrepancies so as to minimize distortion into inaudibility. 

In dealing with the imperfect world of records. A tonearm must be designed in a certain way and have specific features to function at the state of the art. The SAT tonearm does not qualify. it is nothing more than a substitute for a "mighty sword" (Randy Newman). A tonearm should have no sound of it's own.

Given the problems with tangential arms, which theoretically would be best, a pivoted offset arm is still the staple of tonearm design. It should have ridged bearings of the lowest friction without any play. It should have a ridged, non resonant wand with a fixed head shell and continuous wiring clips to phono stage termination. Short arms are superior because of their lower inertia and superior tracking abilities.

The arm should have neutral balance as opposed to stable balance. This is easy to see. You should be able to draw a straight line through the center of mass of the counter balance weight through the vertical bearing on through the center of mass of the cartridge and head shell. This usually means that the counter balance will be dropped. If you adjust the counterweight so the arm floats horizontally a neutral balance arm will stay at whatever elevation you place it. A stable balance arm will oscillate until it finds horizontal again. A neutral balance arm maintains the same tracking force regardless of elevation. A stable balance arm decreases tracking force with elevation.  

An anti skate mechanism is mandatory of the lowest friction possible. Magnetic mechanisms are best.  

Appropriate mechanisms must be present to adjust the orientation of the cartridge in all planes. Once locked they should be perfectly rigid. This disqualifies most VTA towers. People who insist on them need to find themselves a good hobby like cooking or basket weaving. 

From an aesthetic view tonearm cables should exit beneath the tonearm board. They interfere less with suspensions and dust covers this way aside from looking much better. People who need to show off their wires need a sports car they can polish. A proper system should have all of it's cabling hidden as best as possible. This business with fat cables and fancy sheaths is again for men with undersized mighty swords. 

The Schroder CB is an example of such an arm. 

@mijostyn 

Thanks for your comment, but wouldn't you agree that your tonearm theory is the same for all components?  Turntables, cartridges, phono stages, pre-amplifiers, amplifiers, and speakers should "not have any sound of it's own. It will limit discrepancies so as to minimize distortion into inaudibility".  However, reality is really different from theory, and everything does impart some coloration to the reproduction of music.  

However, in the interest of staying on topic, let's please try to just share actual experiences of hearing different tonearms, ideally on the same turntable, with the same cartridge. . . . however, that stipulation might make this a very brief, and sparsely commented thread.  

Dear @drbond  : I owned/own and tested in my system with same cartridges around 25-30 diferent tonearms ( vintage/today ones but the SAT that I listened in other top systems I know ).

The @mijostyn  are theoretical desirable tonearm characteristics and that some tonearms do not mimic those " ideal " characteristics does not means are bad tonearms.

Today and top vintage tonearms all came/comes with first rate not loose bearings ( ABEC 9, at least or jewel type. Both with very low friction and all with unmovable rigidity. ) ).

Normally a medium EM tonearm runs excellent and can be mated with almost any MC/MM/MI cartridge but for my fist hand experiences the 2 main characteristics for the better in a tonearm are the internal quality wiring that must be made with silver wire and second the overall tonearm damping specially at the headshell where the ssue is to " stop " the return/feedback resonances/vibrations that the cantilever will takes as fake modulations that the transducer works with.

My two tonearms in use are self/build designs for me and a close friend and yes those main characteristics are well covered.

Today, tonearms are like the cartridge: does not exist bad tonearms except by unipivots and perhaps tonearms that use wood build material that we must avoid.

Other characteristics out of the tonearm it self is that when be mounted in the TT must be totally isolated from.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.