Linear-tracking Turntables!

[mep]

I owned a brand new MMT and it was my first 'high end' tonearm. It was mounted to the 'new' AR turntable which really was pretty decent. However, the MMT minaturized images. Sometimes I could swear their were heads sitting on top of my amp singing to me. Sort of reminded me of listening to the Quad ESL-63s. My next arm was the ET-2 and it blew the soundstage open in all 3 dimensions. Suddenly singers had the correct height.

 

[MylesBAstor]

The Rabco sucked by the standards of the day when it was introduced.

Well there was the Dennis Shreve mod for the Rabco and it did serve as the inspiration for the Goldmund arm (that was also a nightmare to set up, align and get to work properly; tangency was an issue early on with the Goldmund arms). But when set up right, it did sound quite good. It worked quite nicely with the Spectral cartridge way back then.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Sorry Bill, I thought you meant what else was out there that sounded better than the Rabco. I don't claim to know the history of linear tracking arms, but I'm not sure there was another commerically available linear tracking arm when the Rabco was introduced.

Wasn't the Souther also available back then?

 

[beek]

Wasn't the Souther also available back then?

I don't remember others , the Rabco started in the late 60'S after that my next arm was the SME that went back to the 50"S .Mr Rabinowitz if I remember correctly invented a number of other things. Gotta look it up..

 

[beek]

I don't remember others , the Rabco started in the late 60'S after that my next arm was the SME that went back to the 50"S .Mr Rabinowitz if I remember correctly invented a number of other things. Gotta look it up..

It was Jacob Rabinov

 

[MylesBAstor]

It was Jacob Rabinov

Yes he, Alan Sliski and also Frank Dennesen, were responsible for the development of the air bearing arm. Everyone seems to have forgotten Frank Dennesen. Really nice man and built some of the best components in the early days of high-end audio. Actually met someone years ago through work who had a garage full of the parts for the Dennesen arm. (someday will have to tell this six degrees of separation story!)

http://patent.ipexl.com/US/4628500.html

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.theanalogdept.com/images/spp6_pics/Garrard/Rodney%2520Eugenio/RE_0084.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.theanalogdept.com/rodney_eugenio.htm&h=479&w=720&sz=133&tbnid=kFzyhMHBzItukM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=131&zoom=1&docid=yJsWMBwaCj3JjM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QdYkT9GXOKjW0QHFisn-CA&ved=0CCMQ9QEwAA&dur=473

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.theanalogdept.com/images/spp6_pics/Garrard/Rodney%2520Eugenio/re016.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.theanalogdept.com/rodney_eugenio.htm&h=665&w=1000&sz=191&tbnid=vVeNwJBvyXNoiM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=131&zoom=1&docid=yJsWMBwaCj3JjM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eNUkT66-OoXy0gHQh-ntCA&ved=0CCsQ9QEwAg&dur=473

http://www.klang-projekt.de/dennesen.htm

 

[Odyno]

Luv this pic on the Oracle

Any one here experienced this one?

http://airtech.atspace.com/mg1.htm

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Luv this pic on the Oracle

Any one here experienced this one?

http://airtech.atspace.com/mg1.htm

I was thinking about Oracle the other day and figuring a linear setup would look so cool on that TT. Thanks for sharing the pic.

 

[microstrip]

I was thinking about Oracle the other day and figuring a linear setup would look so cool on that TT. Thanks for sharing the pic.

Although some people use air bearing linear tonearms with the Oracle (and I also used the ET2 on it), apparently it is a technical nonsense . The Oracle has an high compliant suspension, and when the arm moves the suspension tilts backwards as the mass of the tonearm moves from front to the middle of the turntable. In order to get the maximum from such a tonearm one should use a non bouncing, perfectly leveled and stable turntable.

As the Oracle looked and sounded fantastic with the ET2, we accepted to have to check the level very often. I read some people modified it, replacing the springs with elastomer blocks to use ET. But, IMHO, and Oracle without color coded springs is an oxymoron!

 

[georgelouis]

I think that the Sony PSX-800 Biotracing Linear Tracking Turntable was the best turntable that was ever available in the USA. I use it with a Fulton Kinetic Barrier turntable mat, a convex side up onex steel washer under the record with a Michael Gyrodek record clamp. I also use a Panasonic strain gauge cartridge with shibata stylus and customized Panasonic demodulator to energize the cartridge. And of course I treat the stylus and record with my product UltraBit Platinum-Plus™ that's both an optical impedance matching treatment for all laser-read media but is also is a Reduced Friction Technology for Vinyl. You may read about it at http://www.ultrabitplatinum.com/?page_id=350 .

Best regards,

George

 

[Peter Breuninger]

i owned the Rockport Sirius III for 8 years; it's generally considered the ultimate implimentation of a linear tracking turntable.

over time i had a number of tt's and arms sitting next to the Rockport to compare; and eventually it became clear that the linear tracking arm was a limitation when faced with the very very best pivoted arm. up to that point, the Rockport and it's linear tracker repelled all comers in an overall sense.

Hmmmm... serious commentary from a world expert. I would not be so quick to take linear trackers to the woodshed. Lloyd Walker's newest psi management system is very impressive. I hear much bass from the system. My trusty Goldmund T3F has huge and explosive bass. Mike, say it ain't so. I want to love these things

 

[DaveyF]

Hi George and welcome, Have you had a chance to listen to the newer strain gauge cartridges, such as the Soundsmith's. If so, how do they compare to your Panasonic?

 

[beek]

Yes he, Alan Sliski and also Frank Dennesen, were responsible for the development of the air bearing arm. Everyone seems to have forgotten Frank Dennesen. Really nice man and built some of the best components in the early days of high-end audio. Actually met someone years ago through work who had a garage full of the parts for the Dennesen arm. (someday will have to tell this six degrees of separation story!)

http://patent.ipexl.com/US/4628500.html

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...dYkT9GXOKjW0QHFisn-CA&ved=0CCMQ9QEwAA&dur=473

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...NUkT66-OoXy0gHQh-ntCA&ved=0CCsQ9QEwAg&dur=473

http://www.klang-projekt.de/dennesen.htm

Very Foxy

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Hmmmm... serious commentary from a world expert. I would not be so quick to take linear trackers to the woodshed. Lloyd Walker's newest psi management system is very impressive. I hear much bass from the system. My trusty Goldmund T3F has huge and explosive bass. Mike, say it ain't so. I want to love these things

hi Peter,

keep loving your Goldmund.

and i'm no world expert, or expert anything. and i haven't heard a Goldmund. but i do have an opinion after observing the progress of pivoted arms next to my Rockport for the last 4-5 years. and i could be very wrong.

i can tell you my Rockport had explosive bass; i loved it, i still love it. it was out there beyond anything i had heard. but the Talea and then especially the Telos surpassed it. this is not about any sort of problem or lack of excellence, it's about where real tonearm performance gains will be made. using the Rockport and my RTR tape as standards to compare directly, it was clear where things were going.

if you get a chance to listen to a Durand Telos in a familiar system do it and please let me know what you think.

maybe if someone throws considerable developement energies at moving linear tracking technology forward things might change. but i doubt it.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Yes he, Alan Sliski and also Frank Dennesen, were responsible for the development of the air bearing arm. Everyone seems to have forgotten Frank Dennesen. Really nice man and built some of the best components in the early days of high-end audio. Actually met someone years ago through work who had a garage full of the parts for the Dennesen arm. (someday will have to tell this six degrees of separation story!)

http://patent.ipexl.com/US/4628500.html

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.theanalogdept.com/images/spp6_pics/Garrard/Rodney%2520Eugenio/RE_0084.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.theanalogdept.com/rodney_eugenio.htm&h=479&w=720&sz=133&tbnid=kFzyhMHBzItukM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=131&zoom=1&docid=yJsWMBwaCj3JjM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QdYkT9GXOKjW0QHFisn-CA&ved=0CCMQ9QEwAA&dur=473

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.theanalogdept.com/images/spp6_pics/Garrard/Rodney%2520Eugenio/re016.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.theanalogdept.com/rodney_eugenio.htm&h=665&w=1000&sz=191&tbnid=vVeNwJBvyXNoiM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=131&zoom=1&docid=yJsWMBwaCj3JjM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=eNUkT66-OoXy0gHQh-ntCA&ved=0CCsQ9QEwAg&dur=473

http://www.klang-projekt.de/dennesen.htm

Oh and should have mentioned that Frank Dennessen designed an amazing electrostatic tweeter that he used in his speaker.

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

I´ve had the remotecontrolled Airtangent Reference since 1993 and it´s not lacking in bass at all
but the bearing pressure is critical and is adjusted at 3bar
also heating and filtering of air to avoid condensation
noise is no issue with the pump unit in the basement(not in attic to avoid moisture coming down)
setting up is easy with the glassplate with a thin red tangential line that is supplied with the unit
vta adjustment is done in the listening position via remote:
equipped with a Pilsner Urquel I simply scan a range in 0,1 mm increments till I´m happy
other arms like Dennesen and Forsell is more airfloating arms, rather than airbearing arms imo
pity the Reference only was made in 100 units
best
Leif
Norway

 

[Syntax]

Some pics ...

Kuzma XL & Kuzma Airline Arm

Kuzma Airline Arm & Supex Cartridge

Kuzma Reference & Kuzma Airline & Lyra Skala

Goldmund Reference & Goldmund T3F & Zyx 4D

Rockport Sirius III & Rockport Arm & Lyra Olympos

 

[NorthStar]

Some pics ...

Kuzma XL & Kuzma Airline Arm

Kuzma Airline Arm & Supex Cartridge

Kuzma Reference & Kuzma Airline & Lyra Skala

Goldmund Reference & Goldmund T3F & Zyx 4D

Rockport Sirius III & Rockport Arm & Lyra Olympos

WoW, all of these are simply magnificent!
It gives me a good incentive to install back my "high-end" Sony linear tracking tunetable.

...See if I can make it sound better than my pivoted arms .... :b
Just so much fun to play with and adjust all the parameters with the right cartridge ....

 

[andromedaaudio]

Syntax are you telling me/us you actually own all these tables

h j

 

[NorthStar]

Perhaps, perhaps not... :b

No matta, they still look gorgeous.