Why is the price of new tonearms so high

Hi D.,
>>> In general, the "heavy" tonearms do have plain advantages ..in power (read: vibration emitted from the cartridge during playback) handling..<<<

A question: What about, the higher the mass, the bigger the "acoustic capacitance" leading to a 'smearing' in time of information?

Energy is "stored" longer and released later with higher mass involved. An accepted principal with dynamic drivers, etc. (also note what REGA's Roy Gandy has to say about that regarding HIS arms and decks...)

What say you?
A.

Ax,

I don't think that applies to tonearms since a tonearm does not produce any signal. The tonearms job is to provide a robust platform for the cart and stylus, which together produce signal. Stiffer styli require a more massive tonearm/platform (more inertia to overcome) in order to produce the best signal. That is typically measured as cart/stylus compliance I believe.

Hi Axel, - I am sorry, but I do not need to comment on "acoustic capacitance" as understood by some audio designers and the theory that high mass does "store" energy "longer".
I do not have to give the answer - the answers are in every middle high school physics book.
Please - honestly - give me a break! - this is no high physics.
Just try a light, fragile and low mass tonearm and tell me it gives more detailed and dynamic sound than a FR or SAEC or MAX or Exclusive - I am in for a good laugh.
After my experiences with the bearing friction thread I am simply no longer in the mood to discuss plain nonsense or "audio physics".
Cheers,
D.

In general, I think a rigid light tonearm will track poor quality records better and a more massive tonearm may not have to be as rigid and will provide a better platform for the cart and stylus to do its job better in general. All arms must compromise between these two extremes to do their job accurately and reliably to some extent and some will do it better than others.

Hi D.
:-):-) thank you, funny how one can disagree, no.

I get, you just also 'sunk' yet another highly regarded tonearm: The Breuer and the derived Brinkmann, right on, I say :-)

Now to this other 'storage item', "the tonearm does not produce any signal" oh yes?
Any exited resonance actually does produce it's own signal, unless D. find this to be otherwise in this physics book also :-)
And PLEASE do not forget the cart signal, e.g. in the case of an MC is amplified by some 10'000x (60dB).
No driver membrane is subject to that, and by the way, it also does not 'produce' the signal it ONLY resonates with it.

What other arms can we 'wipe out' then in favour of the heavy weights?
All new SMEs, all Regas, Origins, Moerchs, even the Dynavectors, etc. etc.
Then all that left is FR, and some others of the old guard?

If you need more mass for a THAT low compliance cart (4cu?) why not blue-tack a penny on the head-shell --- used to work great I'm told :-)

Greetings,
Axel