Why is the price of new tonearms so high

In its day the FR arms were OK, but they have long been surpassed in terms of State of the Art. These days the better arms will be seen to have their bearings in the same plane as the LP, which helps the arm maintain steady tracking forces when playing through warps and playing bass. The best arms I have seen also have treated arm tubes to eliminate resonance in the arm tube. One of the better examples of this approach is the Triplanar.

So far air bearings in arms and tables have proven to be a failed concept- any play that exists between the platter surface and the cartridge cantilever will be a coloration (often a lack of bass, but can manifest in many other ways as well). This is why the more air pressure you put into an air bearing, the better the system sounds. The problem is you can never have enough air pressure and why an air bearing might be 'good' but never state of the art.

Dear Atmasphere,
well - steady tracking force while through warps....... if you look real close it is an interaction between the suspension of the cantilever and the vertical moving mass vector of the given tonearm.......
That dynamically balanced mode is simply superior in exactly this quest compared to the static mode is obvious - but if you have a different position - fine with me.
You prefer the Triplanar over the FR-66s - fine with me.

As for your explorations regarding air bearings.............. fine with me too.

I have different positions for good reason.

But my wife just reminds me that I shouldn't waste my time with problems which aren't mine...............

As Douglas Adams put it so nicely: ........ a POOP-field........Problems Of Other People.....

Dertonarm, I was thinking the same thing, but apparently neither of us could follow her advice.

>>> I have no questions - at least not in Audio. <<<

Am I reading this correctly? I hope it's not as it sounds. I have tons of questions about audio. The more I learn the more questions I have. That's what makes this so much fun. If you have all of the answers then that's actually quite sad.

Dear Dertonarm: I respect you first like a human been/person, second I respect your technical knowledge and in a lot less way your audiophile ears.

It is sad ( for say the least ) look at a guy like you with no real arguments trying to convice someone of something: ??? through " cry out " that you are the best, that you are the only one, that you already heard: whatever, that you are the only with the right cards, that you do not have question on audio, that you and that only you exist and not only that but that does not cares what other people things or if anyone disagree.

If all your bla, bla, bla, were reality then you don't have to take your time " crying out " again and again and again.

You say already heard a 2 million dollars system, well I already herad ( more than your 160 systems. ) at leat one millonaire system and so what.
For what you posted and insist in that fully dead ( FR tonearm ) by its " own right " tonearm you really do not learn almost nothing but IMHO ( you don't have to agree and you don't have to care: " fine with me " : ) not only you don't learn but you are almost deaf/unable to hear on sound music quality reproduction perception and even speak of audio items distortions with that so poor ears, nothing wrong with this there are no " perfect ears ".

Newton, Galileo and heard that 2 million dollar system can't help you to improve your ears perception. One thing is to know how much is 2+2 and a totally different thing is to own/have a experienced and discerning ears that you certainly do not have it does not matters what you " cry out " on the subject.

It is a sorrow that you try to " defend " a tonearm that has no defense right by its wrong design, period. Daniel you are Lost about real sound/music reproduction quality performance: those " mediocre " FR tonearms are already dig your audio grave.

With all respect: here and today and in the music/sound quality audio system real reproduction preception you are reference to nothing thank's to your beloved FR's ( and your beloved FR's audio friends maybe ( I can't say it. ) are at the same level than you, no reference here either.).

Your inferiority complex and your insegurity feelings goes against you and are hitting you again and again.

IMHO as you continue " crying out " ,that you and the FR's are the " ones " , in an intense and louder way as your grave goes deepest !!!!!, come on Daniel you are better than that.

Anyway Perrew: do you already have the answer you are looking for when you start this very interesting thread?

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.