best value current production tonearm

I might need to try the Trans-fi in my system. I don't use the modded TNT much. That is a decent candidate for a change.

Any outlets in the states?

Bpoletti, Trans-Fi is only sold direct from UK manufacturer. It's not a bad thing, as this disintermediates dealer margin, and Vic provides good sales and tech support via email.

Bpoletti, I would never again run an air bearing arm on a suspended table. If I had to use a TNT, I would get rid of the 4-corner suspension and install some different footers in their place. There are a lot of good candidates on the used market.

The arm would be around $1200 - 1350,including insured UK mail
depending on options. For about fifty bucks more you can get a digital VTA scale. There seems to be a cult of tweakers gathering around this arm and its fans really seem rocked in their enthusiasm for it. I have too many other irons in the fire right now after huge system relocation, new speakers, tubes, cables, rack. I am waiting for a new UberBuss and will soon start screwing around with room tuning and speaker placement. A new tonearm install on top of all that will drive me nuts.

It's a back-burner project for me until I get a handle on all the changes I made already. Maybe next year. But I will probably obsess over it until then. It looks like the manufacturer has been responsive to his customers for years and is continuously evolving the design using their input. They seem to try very hard to make updated technology available as cheaply as possible for their existing customers instead of herding them to buy new models.

McBud - Thanks for the suggestions.

The mods to my [early] TNT include a total scrapping of the old plinth and suspension. The plinth is a small solid acrylic platform that rests on 3 tall cones (that bearing "cup" is pretty long). The original TNT suspension just never was worth the trouble to get it set up. So I went solid. Sits on a bamboo cutting board which is on top of Vibrapods (thanks Sam!). The motor rests on a separate isolated board. Sounds very good with a SA-750D and an OC9/II, but my [original] Aries Extended with a JMW-12 beats it with the same cart.

That's not really a very expensive arm. At least not expensive if it lives up to the comments.

Do you live in the states?

Another vote here for the TransFi arm. I have used it for over five years, first on a Michell Gyro and for the last two years on Vic's Salvation TT. The set-up is different but not at all difficult if you are not a klutz and follow directions. Then again if you are a klutz and don't follow directions you should skip a TT and just buy a CD player. Once properly set-up there is very little adjustment required.