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High mass vs Low Mass Turntables - Sound difference?

As I am recently back playing with analog gear after some 15 years away, I thought I would ask the long time experts here about the two major camps of record players -- high vs low mass-loaded-type tables...

For example, an equivalently priced VPI table (say a Classic, Aries or Prime) versus a Rega RP8/10 or equivalent Funk Firm table...  the design philosophies are so different ... one built like a tank, the other like a lightweight sports car...

Just wondering if the folks here have had direct experience with such or similar tables, and what have been your experiences and sense of strengths and weaknesses of these two different types of tables.



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Showing 1 response by dover

dover
2,279 posts
 
There are few modern linear arms made with air bearing just like air-hockey.
On the contrary there are many -
Eminent Technology, Air Tangent, Cartridge Man, Bergmann, Kuzma, Walker, Zorin, Terminator just to name a few.
I never had any kind of problems using Terminator T3Pro LT on my ORACLE DELPHI.The sound was very convincing, quite incredible to be honest for a BD suspended deck. The best I ever had heard hands down.
It is not possible to balance an air bearing arm on the Oracle if it is properly set up, suspension is too soft. Been there. If you balance the arm to 0, i.e. floating, you can see the arm drifting either side of the centre of travel as the suspension shifts. This is clearly audible in a good system.
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