HI All,
Boy, I can't believe I missed this thread because I am such a supporter of linear tracking. Specifically, air bearing arms. I have two Eminent Technology ET2.5 air bearing arms, one on a Sota Nova vacuum turntable and one on an Oracle Delphi V with the African Granite base and the Turbo power supply. I have been using ET arms since 1990. Before that I had several types of servo driven linear arms. I have not had a pivoted arm since the middle seventies.
That last statement is not quite true. Two years ago I bought a Thorens TD 125 and installed a Graham 2.2 Deluxe arm. It sounds pretty good with an AT OC9/2. This is not a system for serious listening but where I audition new/used records. The Graham is a good arm but suffers in comparison with the ET's.
I have a custom precision pressure regulated air supply that runs the ET's at 28 PSI with particulate and water filters. The air is supplied by a shop air compressor which is highly modified for silence and buried deep in the bowels of my house. In my listening room, the compressor can't be heard. But the glorious music certainly can be heard.
I love these arms. Every cartridge I have put on them gives better sound than any pivoted arm I have used and I have used some good ones. The problem with pivoted arms is the tracking angle error caused by the offset head. And they are all guilty. There is no way to avoid this error no matter the overall quality of the arm. It's is a built-in error and it is audible. The better the cartridge, the more obvious the difference. I am using a Lyra Skala on the Oracle and a Monster Sigma Genesis 2000 on the Sota.
I am not going to go into the reasons a linear arm, specifically an air bearing arm, is superior. Most of you already know the reasons. All I can say is those reasons are real and audible. I consider a pivoted arm to be a serious compromise. I can't justify installing an expensive cartridge on a pivoted arm, no matter the manufacturer.
I have answered Myles criticism of air bearing arms concerning bass performance before. But, I'll say it again. With my custom air supply the bearing is very stiff and the bass is explosive. There is not a problem.
I should mention that set-up is a bit more difficult and realignment is needed periodically if you are using a spring suspended turntable as I do. Alignment is not difficult. As for reliability, my arms have never failed to track properly. It depends on a clean air supply which is not hard to achieve.
Here are some pictures of my Oracle on a modified Lead Balloon stand:
Sparky
Boy, I can't believe I missed this thread because I am such a supporter of linear tracking. Specifically, air bearing arms. I have two Eminent Technology ET2.5 air bearing arms, one on a Sota Nova vacuum turntable and one on an Oracle Delphi V with the African Granite base and the Turbo power supply. I have been using ET arms since 1990. Before that I had several types of servo driven linear arms. I have not had a pivoted arm since the middle seventies.
That last statement is not quite true. Two years ago I bought a Thorens TD 125 and installed a Graham 2.2 Deluxe arm. It sounds pretty good with an AT OC9/2. This is not a system for serious listening but where I audition new/used records. The Graham is a good arm but suffers in comparison with the ET's.
I have a custom precision pressure regulated air supply that runs the ET's at 28 PSI with particulate and water filters. The air is supplied by a shop air compressor which is highly modified for silence and buried deep in the bowels of my house. In my listening room, the compressor can't be heard. But the glorious music certainly can be heard.
I love these arms. Every cartridge I have put on them gives better sound than any pivoted arm I have used and I have used some good ones. The problem with pivoted arms is the tracking angle error caused by the offset head. And they are all guilty. There is no way to avoid this error no matter the overall quality of the arm. It's is a built-in error and it is audible. The better the cartridge, the more obvious the difference. I am using a Lyra Skala on the Oracle and a Monster Sigma Genesis 2000 on the Sota.
I am not going to go into the reasons a linear arm, specifically an air bearing arm, is superior. Most of you already know the reasons. All I can say is those reasons are real and audible. I consider a pivoted arm to be a serious compromise. I can't justify installing an expensive cartridge on a pivoted arm, no matter the manufacturer.
I have answered Myles criticism of air bearing arms concerning bass performance before. But, I'll say it again. With my custom air supply the bearing is very stiff and the bass is explosive. There is not a problem.
I should mention that set-up is a bit more difficult and realignment is needed periodically if you are using a spring suspended turntable as I do. Alignment is not difficult. As for reliability, my arms have never failed to track properly. It depends on a clean air supply which is not hard to achieve.
Here are some pictures of my Oracle on a modified Lead Balloon stand:
Sparky
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