New Schroeder linear tonearm, any thoughts?


I noticed Frank Schroeder has a new linear arm without servo motors, pumps, etc. seems like a promising direction. Did anyone hear it at RMAF?
crubio
Hiho, Thanks for the explanation. It is much clearer now. As long as that angle is 90 degrees, the stylus does not need to trace the radius of the LP. It is constantly hitting a different radius as the LP rotates which is why it is always tangent while a normal pivoting arm only hits two radii, (at the null points) during the entire side. That is why the arm base does not have to move that 5" or so. This arm is constantly adjusting.
The first video is a very good demonstration of the mechanism of the Schroeder. I had not previously realized that it's pivot swings in full view. I thought the working bearings were underneath, somehow. Fascinating and ingenious, because it's so obvious and simple.

Could not help notice the Abolare linestage, using two 12AU7s, my least favorite audio tube, and for only $32,500!!! I have never heard a 12AU7 I could love, and no linestage imaginable should cost that much. Sheesh. But I do like Rockport speakers and The Beat turntable.
Hi Peter no chatter and zero vibration, you can "hear" this in the stellar resolution this arm has. Other arms I had to remove damping troughs, fine vtf weights, anti skate mechanisms even finger lift b/c they chattered, rattled or colored the sound. The magnets keep the bearing in the underneath race centered in the race so they never touch unless your physically moving the arm by hand to its rest position.

Hope this explanation helps
Yes, I want one.
I wonder whether Frank Schroeder can create a base that would allow other tonearms to operate in the same manner. The problem would be that nearly every commercial tonearm has an offset headshell. The only production arm I know about that does not have an offset headshell is one of those Nottinghams. There are also a few with adjustable headshell offset angle. Still, if he could produce a base for $1500 or less, he would sell quite a few of them.
Sorry to be such a blabbermouth on this subject. I saw a full photo of the LT on the Xactaudio website. It seems I was correct in the first place; there is a large cylindrical base, not seen in the videos, within which must reside the bearing for pivoting the pivot point. I hope that would not delimit the use of the tonearm on a wide variety of turntables (e.g., my SP10 Mk3 or my L07D). Probably it would not fit on the L07D, at first glance.