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Are linear tracking arms better than pivoted arms?

My answer to this question is yes. Linear tracking arms trace the record exactly the way it was cut. Pivoted arms generally have two null points across the record and they are the only two points the geometry is correct. All other points on the record have a degree of error with pivoted arms. Linear tracking arms don't need anti-skating like pivoted arms do which is another plus for them.

Linear tracking arms take more skill to set up initially, but I feel they reward the owner with superior sound quality. I have owned and used a variety of pivoted arms over the years, but I feel that my ET-2 is superior sounding to all of them. You can set up a pivoted arm incorrectly and it will still play music. Linear tracking arms pretty much force you to have everything correct or else they will not play. Are they worth the fuss? I think so.
mepearson
hiho
451 posts
 
By the way, I just read through more posts by Dertonarm and really appreciate your insight from the point of view of both design and operation. It's refreshing to read pieces that are not constantly going back to the same old pornographic sonic analysis like audio magazines. Hats off to you.
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dgarretson
2,599 posts
 
It may be interesting to factor in an arm's versatility with respect to navigating anomalous off-center and warped records. However at SOTA the question is always about the best of all possible worlds. It is therefore reasonable to ask which design is better assuming a physically "perfect" record? In any case for this crowd a second pivot arm like a 4-wheel drive vehicle is probably within reach to handle the occasional blizzard. A relatively small percentage of my LPs are flawed w/r to warpage or eccentricity. Assuming a decent biscuit, I am won over by the relatively superior tangency of the linear arm and the low-resonance achievable with a very short wand as available in certain linear designs. With a low-resonance short wand(as distinguished from degree of rigidity) all bets are off. Could anyone who has used a 1"-2" wand comment on their experience?
darkmoebius
900 posts
 
03-04-10: Hiho
I forgot the mention another solution such as the Thales arm that is a combination of pivot and linear tracker by self adjust to tangency in a PASSIVE system. Very clever indeed.
Thanks for the mention of the Thales tonearm, I'd never even heard of it - some very interesting reading.
oilmanmojo
472 posts
 

Dgarretson
I have the apollo table which has a very short arm approaching 2 inches. It requires the vacuum hold down to get the best performance. It is an extremely light arm though i have not weighed it yet. it is a ceramic wand and brass headshell designed by lloyd walker. Compared to the aluminum wand that was standard on the apollo, this wand is spaceage in comparison. Being ceramic, it is light and extremely stiff. I do not know how to measure resonance as you ask. I do have the armwand dampened with an oil that is designed to offset the resonance or "wobble". It tracks as good as any arm i have used. the sound is exceptional. My concern after following this thread is the possible damage that could occur. The previous owner had a Sumiko cartridge that he used for 8 years without any issue. I started with it, but put my airy3 then universe on this table. So far, I am sold on the results. My disclaimer is that I do not have experience with the high quality pivot arms to compare.
nilthepill
842 posts
 
Thales tonearm, looks like a very ingenious design indeed. Thanks Darkmo and Hiho. I will have to add this one to my wish list.

Dgarretson, well said. Comparison should be on level set baseline, not an anomalous situation of off center and warped records. My tone arm indeed has 1-2" wand exhibiting extremely low resonance
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