I think I'll just stay with my linear arms....short 'n sweet, drawbacks 'n all....*s*
Good read, tho'.
Comparison of sonic qualities of some tonearms
I’m relatively new to the world of vinyl, listening seriously for probably only 2 years. Of course, many big picture items (e.g. turntable, phono stage, cartridges) are discussed extensively on this forum, but I haven’t seen much discussion comparing different tonearms. I would be interested to hear about different people’s experiences with different tonearms, mentioning the audible advantages and disadvantages of each tonearm, realizing that there is no perfect sound, although from what I read about others’ experiences, SAT tonearms may come closest, albeit at a very high price.
- ...
- 255 posts total
So if it is very problematic to determine the sound of a tonearm what were the goals of the manufacturer's? Did their engineers go for improved tracking?, easier adjustments?, cost variables? Then there is the question of marketing and subsequent reviews. I would side on simplicity and reliability above all. |
can you compare your Viv Labs / Porter tonearms to others that you have played that might be more common? What does it do better, and what does it do worse? What do you attribute its strengths and weaknesses to? (It’s not that helpful to anyone to simply say it’s the best without specifying why and comparing it to at least one other tonearm) |
| Post removed |
@drbond You misunderstand me. A tonearm can not improve sound quality. it can only degrade it. The difference in sound quality can be rather large between an excellent arm and a not so excellent arm due to degradation. But, between two well designed arms the differences in sonic quality are as I stated. @billstevenson The Rabco? The one we had in the shop did not know which direction to go:-))) You bet! Unipivots are a low cost, lazy solution to tonearm design and violate what is perhaps the main principle in tonearm design, holding the cartridge rigidly in position over the record with only two degrees of freedom. I worked in retail during the same time period! @asvjerry Not so simple. Most of them are examples of the tail wagging the dog. @tomic601 I think a lot of audiophiles are waving something else. |
- 255 posts total