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why is a 13" tonearm design really superior?

we just mounted the SAEC WE-8000 on my Nakamichi and I can´t really believe what kind of fantastic sound this tonearm is able to reproduce. Is it because this is a very special 13" design or because of the extraordinary headshell design? I think it is the only tonearm with such a long straight alu-pipe. Am i right? Also the lift design is unique, this lift stops at every level you like to use.
Why are todays tonearm developers not anymore going for a 13" or 14" design?
thuchan

Showing 2 responses by myles_b_astor

myles_b_astor's avatar
myles_b_astor
134 posts
 
One designer(who makes 12 inch arms) told me that they didn't hear any sonic improvements above a length of 12 inches.
myles_b_astor's avatar
myles_b_astor
134 posts
 
Hi Thucan,

Hopefully someday will get around to hearing one :)

BTW, Bob Graham pointed out a while back that while a longer arm has many virtues, cartridge alignment is more critical in a 12 inch arm than a shorter arm. In simple terms, errors in aligment are amplified with a longer arm. That was why in part until recently, Bob didn't make a longer arm. OTOH, Bob has cornered the market on cartridge setup. It's too bad that he doesn't market his jig for other arms (once you've used it, there's no going back), but he doesn't want to give other arms an advantage.
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