Linear Tracking or Not?, Any Experiences and Recs

I have heard the Kuzma arm at several demos and it sounded very nice. I had an ET 2.5 for a number of years and was very happy with it. Sonicly, it was not in the same class as my Schroeder Reference. However, cartridge installation on a linear arm is a 2 minute job. Since I swap cartridges frequently, that is a major consideration for me. Maybe not for you. The lack of inner groove distortion with the ET 2.5 is also something that I really miss. I wouldn't go back to the ET 2.5, but if I could find a used Kuzma at a good price I would grab it in an instant. YMMV.

Hey!!!: Rushton, Mike, Albert, where are you?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

I have an ET2 on my Teres 255 with a Shelter 901, it the best I have ever had and sounds great all the way to the end of the record. Linear tracking tonearms sound best because this is the way the records were cut to begin with and it only makes sense to play back with a linear tracking tonearm. At first I was afraid of the so called constant adjusting of these arm but it has not been that way with my ET2. Yes, they can be a real pain to do the initial setup and you will need patience but once this is done right and the table is leveled correctly they are no more troublesome than a regular pivot tonearm. Once you go Linear tracking I don't think you will ever go back to pivot tonearms ever again, I know I'm not. Just to let you know that if you find and ET2 you will need the setup jig to help you setup the arm faster and more accurately, without this you will be yanking you hair out on the initial setup.

Hi DGAD,
as a owner of the (Graham Phantom,Triplanar,SME V and two
Kuzma Airline TA), if you would like to go for a linear tracking tonearm, try to get a Kuzma Airline.
You won't regret it.
The only small drawback is that one should place the air
compressor in a different room. But kuzma suplied
a 25 meter hose for it.

Regards Karl-Heinz

Karl-Heinz,

How is the low level bass on the Kuzma? I have heard that linear tracking tonearms can have problems w. the disipation of energy since they are more similar to a Unipivot in this point. Also, they sometimes preclude using an outer ring due to the positioning of the arm. To me unless you have a vacuum platter you are making a compromise. Firmly fixing the record to the platter yields much a much quieter background & increases dynamics considerably.