Why are modern arms so ugly?

A fundamental issue that occurs with every arm I have seen that gets good marks for appearance the the design of the bearings.

More to the point the bearings are positioned outside of the plane of the LP surface, resulting in variable tracking forces, depending on warp and bass modulation.

If the bearing is is the same plane, the tracking force is constant with the presence of such events. The result is that such an arm will have better bass than an arm that lacks such a design. This is something that as an engineering concept has been known for a very long time. It is why a truck can climb a hill fairly well even though it has rear-wheel drive- when going uphill, there is more weight on the rear axles. Ask any airline pilot about how weight has to be distributed in an aircraft and you will discern the same fact.

So- can this criteria be met while the arm still has an aesthetic appeal?

Dear Atmasphere, yes, it can still has an aesthetic appeal and yes, you are right - the plane of the record needs to be meet by the bearing. The criteria will be meet .... pretty soon.
Cheers,
D.

"If the bearing is is the same plane, the tracking force is constant with the presence of such events."

I'm not sure I understand why this is so. Can someone help me understand why this is so?

I believe it is true if the pivot point is not at the center of mass of the arm. But if the pivot point is at the center of mass, then how does the tracking force depend on whether the pivot point is in the plane of the record.

(Say the center of mass and the pivot point are the same and they are in the plane of the armtube, which is above the plane of the record. And then there is a warp in the record. The cartridge rides up, but why should the tracking force change, other than from the acceleration of the cartridge's upward movement?)

Dear Atmasphere, yes, it can still has an aesthetic appeal and yes, you are right - the plane of the record needs to be meet by the bearing. The criteria will be meet .... pretty soon.

I believe it has already been met
COBRA
COPPERHEAD
Not only do they move the tonearm aesthetic to a 21st century relevance.....but they are the best sounding arms I have ever heard.

That is the ugliest, piece of shit retro look I have yet seen in audio. :-) You guys are right. It is very subjective.