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What defines a good tonearm

I'm in the market for a very good tonearm as an upgrade from an SME 345 (309). Most of the tonearms I have used in the past are fixed bearing except for my Grace 704 unipivot. I dont have a problem with the "wobble" of a unipivot, and they seem the simplest to build, so if they are generally at least as good as a fixed pivot, why wouldnt everyone use a unipivot and put their efforts into developing easier vta, azimuth and vtf adjustments, and better arm materials. Or is there some inherent benefit to fixed pivot that makes them worth the extra effort to design and manufacture
manitunc

Showing 5 responses by dan_ed

dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
I used to bad mouth unipivots.

dealer disclaimer
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
And yet, the Talea is clearly superior to the Triplanar in playback performance.
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Hiho, are you beginning to see the religious nature of all of this? ;-)
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Interesting. You are the first person who has made such comments that I know of, but I do understand loyalty.
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Ah, atmasphere, the "I'm a Pro" trump card. I'll ask you a question. Just how much time did you ACTUALLY spend with any Talea.

At RMAF last year I watched a guy walk into a room, over to the turntable and mumbled something about Triplanar this or that. Then he turned and walked out. I certainly hope you spent more time with a Talea than that guy did.

I have never said the Talea is the BEST, but it is no doubt better than some. I still own my Triplanar after 5 1/2 years. It works very well for me. I've had a Talea, in one form or the other, for over a year.
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