Why Linear Tracking never took off?

Rushton,good point!To me though,I've spent too much time rationalizing the loss of AIR, brought about by damping the arm,to be to be anything other than a masking out of musical information.That is not to say that in the case of really crappy recordings it could not make them listenable,but,then what does one do?Add damping for the bad records,and,take it out for the junk?I don't have that much time in my day to fotz around like that!When producers re-release classic(not classical)music there is a real dilemma that they make as to how much info(noise) to leave on the recording.If you hear some of those re-releases they sound processed,which is what,to my ears anyway,damping does.Please don't think I'm trying to be condescending,If you like the music on a disc,and it is more listenable with some damping,then you should listen to what you prefer.

Rushton,I just read the thread(review info,by Walker)and you may have struck on the fact that perhaps some cartridges could not suffer by adding a bit of fluid to the arm.His info does make sense and I'm always open to new ideas(not that this one is new).My only concern is that I have NEVER heard the benefit of damping with any of the cartridges that I've owned,and my friend's are strongly against the use of it.That does not mean that it could not be beneficial in some cases,I've just not run across any.

I have had five different linear trackers. The main problems in my experience are the critical importance of the table being level along the dimension of the linear tracking, the high mass of such arms, and the great inconvenience of those using air bearings, namely that the compressors are noisy and need to have the condensation removed.

I really question whether they are dead, however. There is no question that when well set up, they have less intergroove distortion.

Tbg...Sometime (when no one can see you), get a hold of a Sony PS X800 turntable with servo controlled linear tracking arm. The "main problems" with linear tracking arms that you cite are very accurate. The Sony arm approach is completely different, and in my experience, flawless. But you won't believe it until you try one.

Actually, I once had a Sony linear tracking table, but I recall nothing much about it. It did bring me back into vinyl and to the purchase of a Rabco arm. When was the PS X800 made?