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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 3 responses by vair68robert

vair68robert
632 posts
 
madavidO

No they are not .  
Now lets use equipment prices as examples ,
an amp can cost $2,000 or $200,000  a 100x increase .
speakers can be the same 100x increase 
but a $1,000 tonearm or the top of the line Graham Engineering 
for $15,000 is only a 15x increase , So NO they are not a rip off 
in relative terms .

You didn't even bring up size or arm changeability .




vair68robert
632 posts
 
madavid0
"Now let's take two tonearms, the Audiomods V and the Durand Kairos. The price difference is very large, easily around 500-600%. Now, from an audio perofmance perspective is there a meaningful difference? How much better does the Kairos sound -- 100%, 50%, 10%, 2% ? Assuming both arms are well-matched to the cartridge in question, IS THE KAIROS A RIPOFF?"

I guess the discussion here is price verse value 
or in the audiophile world price verse improvement .
The cost of equipment verse the improvement can be viewed as a 
mathematical curve called a parabola where the cost factor 
is  the x and the improvement is the y ,
as the x increases the y increases at a much great rate not a 1 to 1
ratio .
Each of us has to decide how much we can spend to get that 
next bit of improvement RIP OFF  no,  just more and more expensive
to get the last little bit of improvement .

One solution for all of us is to Buy Used from the " Haves ",
they are NOT ruining it for all of us , they are making it available for all of us either directly with used equipment or indirectly by buying top of the line equipment that gives manufactures the resources for trickle down technology .


NKONOR ?
So other than your 2 cents attack on me ,
Do you think  that the money you have spent on your system
is a RIP OFF ? because that is the question !

My 2 cents 






vair68robert
632 posts
 
This has tread has sure created some Nastiness ,
over opinions about the cost of tonearms over $1000.00
being a " rip-off " .
I have stated that I don't think they are ,
one might argue that the  Profit Margins  on higher end tonearms
( equipment ) are excessive .

Elizabeth , I disagree with you about the " haves " ruining the hobby .
I believe that they help all levels of music lovers by not only stimulating
the continued advancement with their money but also with simulating the second and third markets for average income audiophiles .
At one time all of my equipment had been pre-owned ,
thanks to people who can afford to buy the latest and greatest .



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