Straight tonearms without offset angle

+1 @lewm

It’s common in high end audio to try for oneself to find gear subjectively pleasing. Very few are so risk adverse that they insist on understanding why it works before purchasing, often insisting on proof aka pointing outwards when the fear of being wrong (losing money?) is inwards. No, it’s not courage.

In Stereophile Oct2024, even turntable set-up guru Michael Trei heard the positive attributes of a ViV tonearm.

Opinions and reviews are commonly active upon: try this dish, this movie’s great, watch out for the dog, etc, although higher risk usually leads to higher scrutiny.

I value sonic excellence and variety, so I plan to purchase a ViV tonearm. I’ve looked deeply at LT and am uncomfortable with the complexity, fragility, and fiddlyness. But I’ll probably get a LT to hear vinyl unstressed beginning to end which matters for orchestra crescendos.

On a side note, from the lengthy ViV Float thread, wouldn’t it be great if the stubborn naysayers would try a ViV tonearm for themselves.  They’d be pleasantly surprised at the high sonic value. Also, hoping that they would use their substantial intellect to experiment to find answers - lots of fun taking on this challenge, answers that they would share to scratch our curiosity itch. Win Win Win

It really doesn't matter what the naysayers are saying nay to. There forte is remaining where they are and professing what they have. 

The better types, to take a lead from, are those who moved on to the Viv from the tools naysayers are advocates of, or those who get their most satisfying experience using Underhung Tools and Over hung Tools in conjunction, where the differences are seen to be the bonus.

Each to their own on such matters, unless one likes to get the zGloves On. 

@kennyc Your suggestion would require possession of a very rare thing: an open mind.