Humorem, Linear or Pivot, all else being equal?

[Pinknik]

Hi, Tom. Just curious, what opinions, if any (should I even ask?), do you have on linear tracking tone arms like Eminent Technology? Anybody else feel free to chime in as well. Thanks.

[Humorem]

I've never heard linear tracking work right to my ear. For the arm to be mobile, it has to be "light", and this causes problems, resulting in amorphous, soft sound, IMO. ET2 = NFG.

My newest kick is anti-unipivot arms, but more about that down the road.

I have a nice JMW 10 for sale if anybody wants one btw.

TP

[John Buchanan]

Any linear tracker has to have way too much technology incorporated and usually far too much mass in the lateral direction for safe usage. Go for a good fixed bearing arm. I had a Breuer Type 8 tonearm (Sumiko's "The Arm" was an almost exact copy of this) and Breuer modified EMT cartridge combination back when dinosaurs ruled the earth and it was superb. I did a search for that same tonearm recently - 2500 pounds!!! Jesus wept!!! Incidentally, the Garrott brothers (before the mass suicide) replaced the Aluminium cantilever with a Boron version when it went in for a stylus service - even better sound.
My parents went and collected this combination direct from Mr Breuer in Switzerland and I would suggest anyone interested does just that (I don't have an address however)

[Sckott]

I used to think those older Mitsubishi LT-5V's were neat stuff once.


.....Once! ;)

[cunningham]

yea, the mitsubitsi's. i thought they were pretty cool as well. pull the back off and look at the million wires and circut boards in there. not exactly the clean straight signal path we seek now.

[Scott Wheeler]

My Forsell linear tracking arm works just fine. It's very simple and it doesn't sound soft to my ears. Now I must admit I haven't made direct comparisons with other arms for obvious reasons. But it has worked for me trouble free and I love the difference it makes with correct geometry throughout the entire record. You just can't get that from a pivoting arm.

[J Epstein]

This linear tracking arm works:

http://www.aiko.com/roscoe/airbearingarm.html

And you can build it yourself for dirt cheap.

[Bobbit]

The Goldmund T3 linear arm is amazing! In the early 90's I auditioned alot of tables and arms in the $1000 to $4000 range and ended up with Goldmund Studio table and T3 arm. Very dynamic, neutral, and musical. I can't speak for other linear arms though.