Queg, Practical reason: the slightest alteration in the position of the outboard pod with respect to the main body of the turntable will completely screw up tonearm geometry. Theoretical reason; there is something to be said for having the tonearm and turntable in the same closed system, i.e., coupled with respect to outside mechanical and acoustical forces. I tend to favor that school of thought, I don't know a good argument for the opposite approach, but this is not the only time I've seen it (e.g., the Kuzma top-line product cum air bearing tonearm), so there must be one. Not for me though.
