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Tonearms: Ripoff?

If you search for tonearm recommendations you'll find an overwhelming amount of praise for $1k and less products. Audiomods and Jelco are the two most mentioned.

The Audiomods is just some guy making Rega-based tonearms in a workshop. Just some guy is putting out tonearms that compete with tonearms that cost many times the price -- from the likes of SME, Clearaudio, VPI, Graham, etc.

So the question is -- are tonearms just a scam? How is it that everyone loves Audiomods and Jelco to death and never talks about / dismisses high end tonearms? Is it because there's no real difference between one of these low-cost tonearms and the high end ones? Is an Audiomods Series V ** really ** the equivalent of a SME V? Some guy in a workshop equals the famed precision of SME? Is that once you have the math and materials worked out all tonearms are essentially the same? Or is it that most owners of record players online are dumpster-diving for vintage gear and simply can't afford to listen to better?

So, what's going on?
madavid0

Showing 1 response by ddrave44

ddrave44
148 posts
 
+1
rauliruegas8,955 posts11-05-2018 5:03pmDear @madavid0: What needs a good cartridge from the tonearm?:

- pretty decent bearing ( it does not needs the " hardest " one. ) design.
- very well damped
- first rate (silver ) internal wiring with very best ( silver ) female cartridge connectors.
- accurate and user friendly cartridge/tonearm protractor.
- precise VTA/SRA/VTF, scating and AZ mechanisms
- non-unipivot design.

OP
 Rauliruegas nicely answered your question.  
The first few items he mentioned remove things like vibration (damped tube ) and heat (bearing ) and so allow for clearer sound (wiring/precise setting) and more consistent playback over the years. 

Like most  everything in this hobby it's a question of improving the weakest link. If you have a high end table and cartridge you'll hear more improvements from a better tonearm than if the other parts are so so. 
Another variable is that some cartridges need higher or lower mass tonearms. Audio dealer can help with all that. 
Good luck!
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