Comparison of sonic qualities of some tonearms


I’m relatively new to the world of vinyl, listening seriously for probably only 2 years.  Of course, many big picture items (e.g. turntable, phono stage, cartridges) are discussed extensively on this forum, but I haven’t seen much discussion comparing different tonearms.  I would be interested to hear about different people’s experiences with different tonearms, mentioning the audible advantages and disadvantages of each tonearm, realizing that there is no perfect sound, although from what I read about others’ experiences, SAT tonearms may come closest, albeit at a very high price.  

drbond

Some measurement device is needed, for a reasonable cost, so one can adjust for zenith.  I do believe Wally Tools is devising such a device but don't know for sure. I cannot even imagine how such a device could be designed so the average vinylista could learn how to use it.

@drbond : " very few on this forum have actually compared tonearms, which rationally only leaves dealers, who, of course, are biased to one degree or another; but some biased information is better than no information at all. "

 

Four time that confirm what I write in my last post. You need to learn to understand in true the tonearm subject that you still just do not " discern " even that you think you did it and you think you did it in a " record time " using only two tonearms and 2-5 cartridges in the same TT. Well I know that you are not a genius but is fine with me.

 

" and the differences are dramatic, so I would imagine that for just about all tonearms…I’ll try a third in the near future…"

Wrong conclusion even that you now has a " fan " that suddenly posted and that’s way over wrong that you are. To each his own.

Even that you need to make a test with to same tonearms and with 2 different cartridges where you listen one of those cartridges that you mount in one of those same tonearms and in second step after your listen sesession you take that cartridge and then you mount in the other similar tonearm and listen it and through this comparison come here ( after doing that with those 2 different cartridges ) and share what you found out. I don’t care if you don’t do that it’s your decision.

In the other side, maybe you need to have a little more clear the intrinsical relationship between a cartridge and the tonearms where it is mounted.

A cartridge per sé and during play develops its own kind of " distortions " and the tonearm during play develops too its own self of distortions that with an specific cartridge can be a mate in heaven and in other tonearm not at the same level ( everything the same ) but this does not means that the " heaven mate " is better tonearm than the other second tonearm: what that means is only that the first tonearm mates better with that specific cartridge. Of course that if the differences are " nigth and day " with 5 cartridges in the row then that tonearm or is totally inferior or it’s out of its design specs.

The other issue in that " everything the same " other that the cartridge/tonearm " perfect " set up is that both tonearms have the same internal wire and input/output connectors.

 

I’m not " offended " in anyway with your 4 times post and your " fan " because I know with all respect to you that gentlemans as @terry9 @lewm @mijostyn @chowkwan @viridian @wrm57 @whart and others ( to many to mention all ) are way better and with higher knoledge levels in this specific tonearm subject that you and I know too that the ignorance level of all those gentlemans is way lower that your high ignorance levels in this specific regards and you make things " complicated " because you don’t let that any one help you in anyway about.

 

Btw, I have 2 similar self design/build pivoted tonearms are identical in every characteristic but the internal bearing type where one is an ABEC 9 gimball and the other jewl and both performs with excellent quality levels. Exist differences that can you detect where you could say this is better than the other? maybe you can maybe not.

 

R.

 

 

@rauliruegas

Just as I thought you had become a better person, you prove me wrong by your assinine comments. Oh well, some people never change…  You have never offered anything constructive, and my best policy was to always ignore your comments, as they are always irrelevant to the matter.  So I will return to my past approach, which is to ignore any and all messages by you, which I suppose most on this forum would also benefit by learning from my experience, which I am willing to share.

@drbond  : That's your usual response that it's not constructive  I already told you why in my opinion you are wrong in this specific tonearm subject.

 

However in your thread you don't post yet why the other gentlemans I named are wrong and where are your foundation to think they are and that you are rigth or at least that in this forum no one knows about because this is what you posted 4 times with no facts that could prove it.

I said you are wrong and is only an opinion and I was not proven nothing: only said with foundation in all the other gentlemans posts and in what you posted.

R.

@drbond I have posted many times in the past about certain individuals involved with Audio Equipment seemingly having developed a Behavioural Addiction, where obsession has become the driving force of the interest.

Obsession being a out of harmony balance and an over interest to varying degrees, especially to the place where the obsessional thought will be the thought that Supersedes all others, can typically be seen to manifest through the presence leaving a very difficult place for the individual more balanced on the subject of Audio Equipment to communicate.

Your Thread has started with your inquisitive request to understand how a Tonearm design can influence the sonic produced and which designs are seen as the betterment over others.

The reality is there isn't a best or worse, as there are too many variables to influence the end sound that has very little to do with the TA design or Materials used to produce it.

All Tonearms born from a Particular discipline for the design and build will assist the correct choice of Cart' to replay music to a very high audible quality.

To have a reality check, the Amygdala is the part of the brain that rewards for audible exposure in a particular environment, as long as the sound produced is a stimulus emotion and reward are produced, it is this only that is the bias for selecting a good experience or not so good experience.

The math helps for the designs produced but is not the 'be all and end all', it is the how the Amygdala creates a chemistry and neurone activity that is the stimulus to encourage behaviour that is wanting more of what is experienced, which can for many become an unbalanced and overexposed experience, manifesting as a addictive behaviour.

Interestingly, it is the same for those who abuse themselves through overexposure to the Web and endless exposure to Phone Media Data, the overindulgence is an addictive behaviour, one that is formed from bombarding the Amygdala with a sensory overload, through an excess of reactions being created to content being observed. 

Such endless exposure is a Trauma to the Limbic System.