Comparison of sonic qualities of some tonearms

As said earlier, any Tonearm comparison is limited if the experience had is one that is using different mounting for TT, Different TT, Different Cart’s and Electronic Signal Path.

The only honest thing that can be deduced is by the individua; present, and this will be limited to such a decision to the likes, of whether the Tonearm has impressed enough to have it as a contender to be used on the home system.

This as a practice is not comparing Tonearms in any way, shape or form, it is merely expanding ones experiences only.

Most of my Tonearm Comparisons over the past few years, have been same TT support, same TT > Plinth > same TA Mount > same Cart.

In many comparisons it has been modified TA Model vs earlier guise, and prior to this, it has been on a few occasions the TA in comparison to other TA’s.

An Upcoming session has a TT produced to enable multi arms between 9" and 12" with the same Cart’ mounted, and one of the TA Models which is a new design will have options on different Signal Wires to be used as well.

There is a hope to have approx’ 5 Branded TA’s used in comparison to the New Design TA.

It is during this session or one of these sessions depending how it unfolds that the underhung geometry will be used for the New Design TA, this in itself has an attraction to myself, underhung discussions has got intrigued.

@lewm I have a familiarity with a CF Headshell from many years past, which was experienced in a few different set ups and did not wed to the tonal influence, I personally don’t know anybody who uses one at present.

The very light CF Headshell, I made known recently, that one got my attention, so who knows, If I find one at a reduced price, maybe CF will get a revisit.

@drbond +1 "So far, very few Audiogon members have expressed an ability to compare tonearms, which leads me to my conclusion: very few on this forum have actually compared tonearms, which rationally only leaves dealers, who, of course,” your observation is correct! (same applies to every other topic here as well) 

I'm sorry, Dr. Bond, but I seem to have missed the point. I sidetracked myself into a discussion about materials.

I think that we can all agree that a cartridge can only sound its best when it is held rigidly at the correct angles: tangential, VTA, and azimuth.

That means adjustment. The finer the adjustments, and the better they are maintained, the better the sound. So adjustability should be considered as well as rigidity and damping. IMO

@drbond There is some wisdom here if you listen close enough. None of us can compare every tonearm and there is no dealer that can compare every tonearm. Frankly, never trust a human who isw trying to sell you something.  But many of us have owned just about every type of tonearm out there and that adds up to a lot of experience. But, what a sound system or any piece of equipment sounds like when it comes down to the best equipment in a speaker/room that you like is more likely to be due to the relative humidity than anything. How a piece of equipment performs is a funtion of design and the factors that make a great design are accessible to anyone although some manufacturers may try to hide them. You have one of the very best turntables and one of the very best phono stages. All of the best arms and cartridges are going to sound similar, to normal people indentical. I have three top of the line cartridges and what amazes me more than anything is they sound way more alike than not. There was a day when the differences between cartidges semmed to be much greater. 

@rauliruegas , your experience with linear tracking arms matches mine. I only made the mistake myself once. There is no current line tracker that I would come close to considering. The Reed 5T and the Schroder LT are very differnt animals, they are pivoted tangential trackers and though there are some minor quibbles I do not see why they would not be excellent arms and perhaps even a step forward.  Had I a turntable that would fit one I would have a Schroder LT already. 

And by the way, when you are dealing with a 12 kHz waveform in the grove of a 33 1/3 RPM record, 1.4 degrees is a lot with modern stylus profiles that have a very narrow contact patch. But, as I said before I thing the real benefit is in no skating.