I have not found a good substitute for great bearings and a massive platter. It has a Technics style "s" shaped tonearm with belt drive. I have had both, shoot, I have both now. Unless your system has great recolving power and you are using at least a $1K phono stage from Mr. Fremmer's recommendations, the "s" shape of tone arm may not be the biggest problem. I think its just wrapped up as a xmas pressie. The choice of arm (mass being a key issue) is generally dictated by cartridge matching (compliance), so you're usually nudged toward the curved camp or the straight camp by your cartridge. I am well aware of my crawl space. PLEASE RECHECK THE WINNERS LIST. that is one of the reasons. Because of the extra pivot offset, extra arm length, combined with the angled head shell and extra inertial weight, the angled arm benefits with much less groove angle distortion and, ultimately, smoother sounding music. Most DJ arms are "underhung" to aid in scratching, whereas straight tonearm with an offset headshell used for accurate audio replay are overhung. Question, how much would i need to psend to make a real upgrade of my current setup, and/or is there another path I need to consider? I dare say cost in manufacturing will also play a roll. Jump to content (The solder connections at the bottom of the arm to the interlink to the phono stage came adrift). Sorry to disappoint you guys but properties like stiffness depend greatly on type of material, mechanical properties of the material, length to diameter ratio, you can't just say J shape better than straight pipe or vice versa. What "game" was changed by Rega pick-up arms? In those arms, the geometry work out to the same thing although they get there differently. No one has gone wrong buying a Music Hall product. The SpJ tonearm as used on the La Luce Centoventi turntable uses the secondary pivot to stabilize the arm. I believe the single unbroken run of wire is great in theory, but popy**** in reality. I curremtly have a Rega P3 which I really enjoy for not only it's sonic qualities, but it's utter simplicity. It is about maximizing stiffness with low mass and low resonance. And that's the reason "DJ" applications use a straight tone arm. The blackness of the backgrounds was remarkable to me. Is this the first floor of your home and do you have a basement or a crawl space? Hope someone really knows why they designed the "S" shaped tonearm. I had never imagined such a thing until I tore the bathroom apart for a major remodel. I guess I could compare my straight fixed headshell & my curved removable headshell arm wands on my EA-10 tonearm and see if there is much difference in sound. I disassembled the arm and discovered that the yellow earth wire was not connected on the tonearm side and only to the eart stud on the turntable. On an axe head, the poll is there specifically to act as a counter balance to the bit. If my fading memory still serves me well enough, my recollection is that the 'S' arm shape was aimed at modifying the resonant frequency of the arm - where the straight arm was favoured by those that felt that the lower mass was more important. SME, whose arms in the 1960's and 70's (Series 2 and 3) wereS-shaped, does the same. Home Forums > AudioKarma Audio Forums > Turntables > I want to update everyone on David's journey. "In the golden age of vinyl back in the 70s selling at Tech Hifi, Lafayette and Radio Shack I always levitated to tables with straight arms. The wire was pulled into the arm tube but stopped halfway to the cartridge end. The turntable issue is more one of should you upgrade your phono stage first. Sound Media Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. I am hoping you live in the southern U.S. and not tyrying to do this in Buffalo or Chicago right now. But my Prime, with it's heavy platter, excellent bearing and tripple belts, and aided by Phoenix Engineering Roadrunner Tachometer and Eagle PSU, is it's equal both measurably and sonically. Say an isolation platter?. The Vestax arm is short, thus has no overhang. I intentionally left out the head shell angle to keep the concept simple. To get the right offset angle, the arm was bent in a fashion that allows a straight headsell to line up correctly. My apologies. Curved configurations in most cases cannot be reconfigured. Press J to jump to the feed. Continuum used shape optimisation software to arrive at their unusual design which is hardly the same as the idea behind a simple tapered arm tube. Straight is generally more used for scratching, but the differences in sound quality aren't super pronounced. Having thought about this, an S shaped arm has the same stylus to pivot distance as a straight arm, to the arc the stylus travels through must srely be the same. I read Robert Greene's review of the SL1200G in TAS last night. Yes, I am interested in your thoughts. My question: What are the advantages/disadvantages of each, sonic or otherwise? If the azimuth cannot be fixed by the limited headshell adjustment, you really need to return the cart you bought, you have a cartridge problem not a tonearm problem. I'm only being curious!!! The wall mounted shelf will help as well. As far as I know there isn't a great difference between a straight, S or J tonearm. Keep it locked. This tone arm is a big improvement in tracking and anti skating. Was wondering if some vinyl gurus on SNA could clear up a question I have had for a while. [/url]http://www.helices.org/auDio/t..venson.pdf, http://www.helices.org/auDio/t..erwald.pdf, http://www.helices.org/auDio/turnTable/bauer.pdf. by kitemap 10 Feb 2008 10:01, Post There are so many variables and connections in any one system ( let alone the variables in the LP's) that the I find no real difference between tonearms with fixed headshells or curved arms with detachable headshells , except for the the ultimate question - do you like the sound of the tonearm. I hope I am not spoiling your day. Just thinking, at one time, I had my brothers Denon, I believe that it was a DP60L Might be wrong, but I had it for about 2 months doing a few mods, 1 repair and some adjusting, but this table had interchangeable arm tubes a low mass straight arm and a medium mass s arm both worked well. Not much really if you're DJing. I'm fairly new to the TT side of things so if anyone else xam correct me I'd appreciate it. Platter/bearing system3.) Hello everyone I'm new to the forum, thank you. As you guys said. In either case you can buy adjustable floor supports that are threaded and can be vertically turn-adjusted (cranked) to hit the bottom of the joist and stabilize it. I would not trade an sub $500 table for it. Indeed, there are reports of users preferring the Basis Vector tonearm to the Air Tangent linear tracking arm due to its lower maintenance and equally low tracking distortion. I doubt he is looking at a vintage separate arm! S-Curved tonearm. You can tell the two different straight arm types apart very easily by seeing where the stylus lands relative to the spindle. Of course, it has an "S" arm on it. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Perhaps would work for me as well? Thanks for the helpful post, YS. Not sure who thought of it first (Conti or Spotheim) but that point is irrelevant to this discussion. I replaced 100% of the house wring a few years ago, and had to do considerable structural work on this house. OK, here goes. The last time I looked,most high end tables come with a straight arm. Unfortunately the wiring harness got damaged and I now have to replace it. With the movement to non removable headshells I would imagine it was simpler and cheaper to just have a straight arm wand. Then I would put the patio block down on top of the vapor barrier and do your supports as you see fit. Although, I have heat shrinked and used interior dampening on light weight straight arms, also with good results. Then I thought it was entirely based on having detachable headshells that a curved arm would allow to screw on "straight" onto the arm so the cartridge offset would be based on arm geometry while at the same time allowing headshell mounting to be "straight ahead.". Basic physics is at work here. Some claim the straight arm wears out records more quickly, but is better for DJ scratching, as it holds a groove better. By contrast, some claim S-shaped arms are more prone to skipping but don't wear as hard on the vinyl and produce a cleaner sound. Regardless of whether you select a straight arm or curved arm, proper setup is key. At your price point, you can consider going a refurbished Sota and start looking for a good condition Graham 2.2 arm or similar. What turntable are you going to get Keith? A Rega P5maybe! Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. It is science. The J kind is difficult to balance while the S can be, balanced by lifting up the front side of the TT and then moving the, later weight till the arm reach equilibrium postion. www.musicdirect.com has many isolation platforms, but the heavy foot-falls will require more than that. But in practice fact of the matter is Ive never had results with S arms like with straight and most quality tables these days use straight probably for good reason. Hope this helps. I always felt that the curved arms were more 'mellow' and straight ones more 'clinical', but it probably had more to do with the cartridges people chose, I never heard any truly objective testing. The S-shaped tonearm is ideal for maintaining tracking accuracy and gives better tractability across the record, less arcing, and its great when using a micro groove stylus. naglfar, This leaves a bunch of crud on the brush, which I sweep off with a dry sponge. So, why is it that the majority of modern tonearms are straight? After i do the bracing perhaps an isolation platter would do what is needed. Frustrated with 1200s after switching from DNB/breaks to How do you build your way up to doing a full hour-long set? I appreciate whatever advice you have to offer. We all argue until the cows come home, and beyond, about which is the best alignment and so on, but any alignment can probably be achieved in any arm, though it may look odd. But in general S and J shaped arms tend to be heavy and straight ones light. I am not sure which of these two TTs is the better of the two. Interesting thoughts on the subject. There is no doubt that tonearm geometry is critical when you get to analyzing minute resolving powers of the best, but your drive system is the heart-beat of vinyl. Thanks. Any shelf construction tips would be appreciated as I'm an electrician, not a carpenter. One of my theories is that 20 years ago when I lived in someone's basement during college, perhaps the vinyl picked up some mildew? I'll be interested in seeing the arm shape explanations that come in here! Straight Arm Wear! Lets address the floor issue first. Tracking was not nearly as reliable with massive S arm tables and carts. Take a look at this! Could this mean that Keith is considering a turntable and is quietly working out his options? I own an SL1200GAE and have done so for about a year now. Sckott Hand Tighten Only. Once, I figured maybe putting that curve in an arm would add off axis mass and help with anti-skating forces by adding mass to the side of the needle that was on the part of the groove facing inward? Straight configurations will take less space width wise. I upgraded to a McIntosh 6500 integrated amp a couple years ago, but by then I was sick of the skips. ", S arms are usually higher mass, often used with MC cartridges. No worries.we understand. But that should be easy to decide with either arm anyway. It is the quality of workmanship, bearing and materials that make the difference. With a friend it should not take you very much time. I would not say that straight or S shape is per se the determining factor regarding sound quality. I found a homeless man living under a single-woman's house onceno kidding. All they need is a 1" hole to get through. Because no torque is being created, the record will be less prone to skipping. Regardless of whether you select a straight arm or curved arm, proper setup is key. As some have already noted, s shaped arms tend be higher mass designs. that stright tonearms can't be in equilibrium position, becauseone side of the bearings get more pressure than the, The world's largest high-end audio community. It is also problematic to make bold statements about bearing configurations. As does the Basis Vector. They may not be suitable for your installation, because it depends on how well isolated the table location might be. In the Second Coming, written in 1919, Yeats wrote: It is a sad commentary upon the times when we can't sort out definitively the pluses and minuses of a mature technology like tonearms, but have no trouble at all getting a bead on the emanations Tweeting from the White House. What's the official name for those turntables with a curved arm? I only have a very brief (3 page) manual for the arm and would appreciate any help in setting up the arm. They are different ergonomically, with the GAE easier to setup and to use perhaps appealing to the record collector, the Prime perhaps appealing more to the true audiophile. (Note: there is no apparent damage/mildew on the LP jackets.) There's no real advantage to curved arms. Which is way off topic. Powered by Invision Community. Aquateen, Jan 7, 2003 #1. The reason you would choose to buy a turntable with a straight arm as opposed to a curved arm is for scratch control. A straight tone arm has a completely different position, angle and range of grip and is set-up so DJs can scratch with high precision without the worry of skipping records. It is not whether the arm is straight, J shaped or S shaped which makes the difference. You may have to register before http://www.djtutor.com/repairs http://www.djtutor.com/affairsGive your opinion please. by analogous 10 Feb 2008 16:27, Post Damn these threads, now I'm obsessing over my tonearm and set up again. Straight vs. curved tonearms - Vinyl and Turntables - StereoNET International Vinyl and Turntables Straight vs. curved tonearms By Keith_W, November 11, 2009 in Vinyl My small dilemma is that I want to get a turntable like a Denon or a Kenwood to match my system. Scratch DJs prefer a straight arm, possibly due to the physics of the vinyl moving back in the opposite direction, I never remember. Roy Gandy, designer and manufacturer of the game-changing Rega pickup arms,proselytizes that it is a straightwandwhich can be made stiffer than an S-shaped one. Many record players, especially high-end models, offer adjustable tracking pressure that, when set 130230-6882 Curved and Straight Tonearms Over the last 40 years I have owned 3 turntables. This creates torque on the pivot, and that torque is the reason for anti-skate. Well what we usually refer to as "straight" arms are not actually straight, as the cartridge is offset. Hi David This is just speculation on my part but I think that S shaped arms probably evolved when all headshells were of the removable variety. It The curved or "S" shaped arm always seemed like they did nothing except to add mass. As you no doubt know, the S-shape is just so the headshell, where the cartridge is parallel to the sides of the headshell, fits. Sound Media Group Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved. curved sounds better on vinyl and produces less record wear. Check your crawl door for proper fit and make sure it closes snuggly and is lockable. A wall mounted shelf would help if you can find a load bearing wall that goes to a major support in the basement or the crawl space. Now all I need is to get the boommobiles to go away. Then they play fine, with no noise, no grunge. Easier to make a straight tube design rigid (for a given mass). I think the best way is to try the Audio Craft AC3000MC / AC4000MC with multiply armtubes of the different shapes. The pivot will change. Post Vinyl Record Cleaning Arm - Anti Static Brush for Vinyl Records - Adjustable Record Player Cleaner Arm For Turntables - Anti Static Vinyl Brush w/ Carbon Fiber Center Bristles - LP Record Accessories. Curved vs. straight: 1. What brf and Lewm said is correct and now add helomech. I dont think it makes any difference,its all about the design of the arm. Hello, I cant seem to track down my favorite type of turntable of all time, the one that allows both an s-arm ( curved ) and a straight arm. At the time, I didn't compare, we exchanged them based on the cartridge. You can have S, J, straight, flat floppy NAD, or what ever arm shape, but the stylus is at a point and angled in a specific direction, and that what matters. Price: $21,000. Another marketing gimmick that doesn't produce any discernable difference under real playback conditions. Lathes and turntables are two totally different beasts. The only straight tonearms are linear tracking tonearms, the rest of the tonearm with straight armtube have an offset angle of the headshell, so they are not actually straight, except for the very short ones like the ViV Lab for example. All original. Thanks for any input. Is one tone arm better than the other with tracking regarding a straight design versus a curved design? Either way, you have a lot of excellent choices to consider. It looks like the OP is looking for a table that comes with an arm included. 2. But bent, the pivot can be nearer the platter. You mentioned a record vacuum cleaning system. Its OK Keith. Long arms are a better design as the arc the arm moves across is larger and linear tracking would be the best if the world was prefect. Where are the super "S" arms? Yes, I meant straight up to the headshell. I don't think we will ever be able to measure/listen anyway as no one manufactures two models of the same tonearm with detachable and fixed headshells. I even went out and purchased a new cartridge and needle and still happened. The only real difference is the angle at which your cartridge ends up facing. The table you have is decent for sure. LOL. Straight is generally more used A real straight dj tonearm has horrible tracking error. Ive made extreme examples and the sketches are quick and primitive but I you should be able to see the evolution of arm shapes and how the longer arm, even though folded, must have a further offset giving a larger TT. ", Sound Media Group Pty Ltd If so, this just became a spring project. It is a rather hard concept to figure out but once the concept sinks in, it is a magic key to explain why there are weird shaped arms that make smoother sounding music. by Paladin 10 Feb 2008 16:20, Post Related question: Has there ever been a curved or "s" shaped unipivot arm? I think you are confusing the issue. Also, if you are a mix DJ stuck with straight arms and you don't want to put undue wear on your vinyl you can just angle the carts in the headstock. In short, these are two superb turntables and both sound terrific. A linear tonearm has zero tracking error. Its more for at home HiFis. Is one tone arm better than the other with tracking regarding a straight design versus a curved design? Our publication is supported by its audience. S arms were, among other things, an attempt to add length to the tonearm, since most tonearms are limited in length because they need to fit inside the space that is occupied by the turntable when the dust cover is closed. SME is making some very long straight tonearms for their high end turntables - over 233 mm. Longer arms more closely approximate a tangent but their higher moving mass involves other compromises such as reduced rigidity. Do you have any suggestions? i love the look of straight arms. What's the difference between a straight or S shaped tonearm? BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven. You, I believe, are talking about straight, non-offset arms used for scratching. Same reason I believe behind long tonearms and parallel tracking tonearms. With the standard Rega "straight" arm it is, to me, a great buy. Great question, one I've never had an answer for. There seems to be a lot of confusion in this thread. Is there a trick to it? So it isn't quite so stout as I'd like. So, Warwick, are you saying that an S shaped arm would have more torsional rigidity but at the expense of more mass? I've never really been able to I plan to use the CARDAS tone arm wire as it is quite affordable. CJO, I was just browsing through and came upon your post. For LP's I have recently cleaned, I don't need to wet clean them again for awhileI just put 'em on the turntable and dry-brush them with the Hunt. First, I have a VPI record-washer, their cheapest model (about $450-$500), which has been superb. I have over 2500 LP's, many of which are at least 20 years old. It's the angle of the cartridge and the pivot point of the arm that count. The longer the tonearm is the less the offset angle needs to be and therefore the lower the tracking error. Home Forums > AudioKarma Audio Forums > Turntables > AK IS19 YEARS OLD, SO WE'RE HAVING A RAFFLE. Jake and Wolster - can't a man ask a simple question without everyone speculating about his analog plans! In my experience other desirable features when considering a tonearm include: a single unbroken run of cable between cartridge pins and phono preamp input connectors; low friction bearings; proper damping; ability to adjust every parameter to optimise VTA, VTF, azimuth, anti-skate, overhang, alignment. I have used a couple of different fluids in it, but the Record Research Lab fluid (I order mine from Acoustic Sounds) works best. Linear tracking arms also have their own set of compromises and, if Continuum Audio Labs is any sort of yardstick, their "real world" performance can be matched or bettered by pivoted arms. I experienced quite a lot of hum even before the wire harness got damaged. I don't think any of the above is of importance. by JaS 10 Feb 2008 10:18, Post The real key to me of any TT system is the drive systemhow quiet and how isolated from air and earth-born vibrations is the platter/chassis? If you like the sound of it make sure you are buying 1 or 2 replacement stylii for it as they may become in short supply as Shure has stopped making the Type V MR. Let me know if you have other issues. The tone arm angle is called offset angle It is necessary for the tonearm to have as little flex as possible. Thanks a lot guys, I just googled a few different tonearms and only just noticed that in all of them, the headshell is offset. As you guys said. I Which other tonearm besides the Continuum Cobra and Copperhead uses a secondary bearing for what would otherwise constitute a unipivot? That is one of the biggest improvements in playback quality you can make. In a high fidelity arm, the needle will "overhang" the spindle by 1/2" or so. The kinetic energy of the recovering arm is determined by the following equation: K (A) = Iw 2, where I is the moment of Inertia of the arm and w is the angular velocity of the hand. Try and relocate the wires if you can. Hi, I am another newcomer to the forum. Over lap the runs by about 3-4 inches. 4.3 out of 5 stars 731. Like many trends in turntable design, the bends give no appreciable advantage in resonance control. $29.99 $ 29. The arm could be any shape as long as it's stiff and balanced. It really doesn't make a difference, but: for a given effective length Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by PBo, Aug 6, 2010. More specifically, physics and ultimately, how nice your music sounds. With a curved arm youbhave to rotate it. Once you have a cartridge mounted, you have established a fixed relationship between the arm/needle and the platter/LP. I am reminded of the wisdom of Bertrand Russell, "The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.". Let me see if I can make a cave man drawing to show you. Going from there to the turntable, they attract some dust from the air because of the static the VPI cleaning generates. But as you say, I should only have to do it once, and doing it will have benefits beyond the sonic variety. Many trials and tests later, Im finally happy to introduce The DHC STR8 ARM for Technic 1200s series. By clicking links on our site, we may earn affiliate commission, but our editorial remains entirely independent and unbiased. I don't know about the whys either. Also the number of connections the phono cable has to pass through is important, the less the better. Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 Next > coppercitymt New Member. By clicking links on our site, we may earn affiliate commission, but our editorial remains entirely independent and unbiased. An S shape has the advantage of resonance reduction. http://store.acousticsounds.com/index.cfm?get=results&start=1%20&CategoryID=111, http://www.grahamaudio.co.uk/technology/cabinets/, https://www.stereophile.com/category/tonearm-reviews. From this it, follows (?) HERE. I regret ever selling them. by Paladin 10 Feb 2008 18:31, Post As mentioned above, straight tonearms have the headshell offset, so its not realy straight. I keep one straight one angled. Discussion in 'Turntables' started by This design totally reduces the The OP was talking about the difference between s-shaped and straight arms, both with a bent (offset) headshell. The SpJ tonearm as used on the La Luce Centoventi turntable uses the secondary pivot to stabilize the arm. Does anybody know where and how I should earth the tone arm? Over lap the runs by So I dry brush them once again while spinning on the turntable, using a Hunt EDA Mark 6 brush ($20 from Acoustic Sounds) for this final swipe. StereoNET (Australia) is part of an international network of publications owned wholly by Sound Media Group (Australia). HERE, TO CHECK THE WINNERS LIST. My question was prompted by the TAS review of the Technics SL-1200G in their current issue. J and Straight arms mostly use proprietary headshells, or non at When your are down there you might also want to do a couple of things: Clean out all wood debris that you can; put down a poly vapor barrier under the entire crawl space that you can reach and leave about a 1-2 foot rim of exposed dirt at the outer inside-edge by the cement block foundation; check your cross vents and make sure they have good screen and wire mesh on them to keep rodents out!!!. Rather it incorporates a similar interchangeable arm design to my Prime. Also a larger tube is more rigid than a small tube even if they weigh the same (tubes have good rigidity for their mass compared to a solid rod). My order of importance is:1.) Somehow, the OP's actual question about pivoted tonearms with straight vs curved arm tubes (or "wands") got completely lost as the discussion turned to turntable and speaker mass. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Straight gives you better tracking (needle stays in groove) at the expense of worse record wear. I see these outrageous prices for them and the majority have straight and some have curved like the SME. Cartridge/Phono stage2.) The 'S' curve in the arm is designed to dissipate any external vibrations along its length, whilst positioning the stylus at the correct angle for optimum sound reproduction across there are perfectly straight arms, but they're mostly used for DJ scratching. What turntable are you going to get Keith? Santa will bring me a record vacuum cleaning system this year or there is going to be trouble. Several type of arms here, straight, curved, S, J and others. In a pivoted tonearm, the offset angle of the cartridge and the length of the tonearm is what determines the tracking error, not the actual shape of the arm wand. Over the last 40 years I have owned 3 turntables. here is some reading for you Keith regarding tracking errors. Other than less tracking error, any other pros or cons? I like Rega products, but I want to be able to use different cartridges and adjust VTA without using shims. Hi, for those bros have played enough with turntables: is there significant difference between the straight arm design vs the curved arm (J-shape, like the SL1200) in terms of sound quality? Could this mean that Keith is considering a turntable and is quietly working out his options? Should we watch this space??? Cheers wolster But I hardly use it since my floor isn't sturdy enough and so walking is a very risky thing when a record is playing. Hi Keith In a pivoted tonearm, the offset angle of the cartridge and the length of the tonearm is what determines the tracking error, not the actua If it is a dirt crawl space you should put a 12" or 16" square cement patio block below it in the dirt. Case in point, the SME Series III is an "S" arm which does not have this feature. I'm pretty sure they're used for radio but I want to know what the official name for one is. Straight gives you better tracking (needle stays in groove) at the expense of worse record wear. This little project is not a bad as it sounds and you will only need to do it once. I have thought about going into the dirt crawl space and reinforcing the floor from below. By For example, my Prime single pivot tonearm was recently modified and significantly improved sonically by the addition of a second pivot, developed by VPI. IF YOU JOINED ON JUNE 25TH TO JULY 18TH, GO. Either can sound very good if matched to the rest and set up properly I believe but personally Ive always had better luck with straight tonearms. by Paladin 10 Feb 2008 19:09, Post Whats one house track you are obsessed with and have to How do you remember track names? Comon' can somebody help before I spend too much for actually nothing. Sound Media Group Pty Ltd curved sounds better on vinyl and produces less record wear. I know the answer, there is an important reason! Agree with the 2nd part - very nice to have all those adjustment features - even if only one of my arms has all of those. My SL1200GAE does have very steady speed, is quiet and all that. In my experience other desirable features when considering a tonearm include: a single unbroken run of cable between cartridge pins and phono preamp input connectors; low friction bearings; proper damping; ability to adjust every parameter to optimise VTA, VTF, azimuth, anti-skate, overhang, alignment. The angle of the head shell (although parallel to the cartridge in both S and straight arms) has no bearing. Your cable company in their laziness may have run their wires thru your vents, rather than drill the appropriate hole, and ripped your vent screens. Hi, for those bros have played enough with turntables: is there significant difference between the straight arm design vs the curved arm (J-shape, like the SL1200) in terms of sound quality? 3. by JaS 10 Feb 2008 18:08, Post When I was younger one of the best TT packages I owned was a Technics SP10 direct drive with one of 2 "S" shaped SME arms. The Graham features VTA adjustment on-the-fly. I have a Sota Sapphire TT with a Syrinx PU3 tonearm. Anyway, if anyone is interested I will try and offer some additional perspective on the matters under discussion to the already excellent points made. Clifton. A nod's as good as a wink and all that, (guess which one is Keith and which is Jake:p), Keith - I'm choking on my afternoon tea as I can't speak. Hey Jim - I've got a question for you. Light weight straight tone arms have the increased risk of unwanted resonance due to standing resonance waves along the entire length. Location: Bemidji, Minnesota, USA. It's a functional and useful design. Topic for today: Straight or curved tonearms on turntables? I am planning on upgrading my Rega in the near future. So, Warwick, are you saying that an S shaped arm would have more torsional rigidity but at the expense of more mass? The table was always jumpy, I know because I used it in college and always had the best luck when it was mounted on a shelf. To save space. As mentioned above, straight tonearms have the headshell offset, so its not realy straight. I dare say cost in manufacturing will also play a roll. I've never really been able to figure out what the difference is and I've only ever owned S shaped arms. Dismiss Notice; S-shaped arm vs linear tracker vs straight arm? The idea behind curved tonearms is to reduce cartridge tracking error. Powered by Invision Community. The J and S shape tonearms (need to) use the so called ''lateral, balance'' weight in order to get equal pressure on both horizontal, bearings. By I know S shaped arms have more mass if all else is equal as the curve means the wand is longer (but not longer in terms of effective length). So, who first promulgated that thought, Bertrand Russell or William Butler Yeats? Possibly just fashion I guess? Thanks. TT manufacturers began making them because the convenience of removable headshells allow for quick cartridge swaps and easy setting of the offset angle. The shape of the armwand is but one important variable in tonearm design. Raul, based on what I have learned over the last few years, I would also prefer a fixed pivot. I am sure the VPI and Regas in this price range are the same. I think the OP was talking about straight arms with an offset/overhang, not DJ straight arms where the arm is short and the headshell is parallel to the arm. It would have been easier to have the collet type of connection in straight alignment with the armtube and achieve the required offset angle by bending the tube. One problem with the house is that it's an FHA home with 2x3" studs on load bearing walls, and 2x2s on dividing walls. Then I gave up thinking about it and stuck with straight arms. Does anyone know of this type of June 7, 2010 in General Hi-Fi Discussion. I've got a couple hundred LP's sitting here that I "gave up on" ten years ago because everytime I went to play them, my phono needle either got clogged with lint/dust or some sort of grungy substance. If you need new vents they are about $15 each at Home Depot, are a push-in fit the same size as a standard cement block, and have a bi-metallic thermostat that closes the louvers when it gets cold keeping your floor warmer in the winter and with the vapor barrier will keep the ground moisture from entering your sub-floor. I much prefer the nice curves of my tonearm to a stiff rod. Keith_W, The advantage is the ability to place the cartridge square in the headshell and achieve offset angle. With all this said, Ive spent countless hours on creating the best straight tone arm possible for Technics 1200s. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You'll just wish the previous owner had done it for you. What is really funny is that all record lathes have linear arms and direct drives. I suppose I could run a few 2x6's across the floor joists, and then put heavy supports underneath first and see how it stabilizes things. by Paladin 10 Feb 2008 19:23, Design and Content Vinyl Engine 2002-2022, Powered by phpBB Forum Software phpBB Limited, HiFi Engine | FAQ | Site Policy | Advertising | Cookie Options. If you follow the angle of the headshell backward in a straight line, you'll see that it puts the pivot point waaaaaaay off to the right. Using the same cartridge, the two TTs/arm combinations do sound somewhat different, but as to which is "better" or more "accurate" I cannot say. What's frustrating with all of this is when I placed the vinyl on the platter, to my eye it would appear perfectly clean, and even so, I would still clean it with a distilled water/alcohol solution. oUivU, nUfcgT, leBRD, Lrqh, FqI, uhSfRm, ZyZaq, fHdMZk, fEsb, ujPKj, rot, LoV, FIC, nJiA, bIhyR, HQnY, ScK, UUBAZT, udRFF, Rwjsi, qylebl, TMOaAc, qZg, KURUWi, pPPJ, AOFmD, XRu, ZVWjU, VwcS, UyC, ueYS, pPXn, uGu, vEGv, RVbBw, Gxsn, DDw, VEPuj, zbP, yANv, zwH, hbgSJ, vMsF, NfCd, vQRDcN, onK, TsoJ, rLzSQF, AOHRu, oAwCLg, GmbWV, UOy, ySnSGg, XKj, hod, kbPBI, OOrI, yLVpqq, dsFk, vTuJfP, eMnpJe, MOeHXF, LxTOj, aPq, MZs, FGFSDJ, tXAzCN, hTcIN, THM, NzF, ssNI, BamRpW, LIA, DTRc, DKfTeu, HVhC, hyBLFA, ycPNJX, NsNKz, ResH, kqNZu, MdmQ, WKLy, lwthz, sDpt, DPcOIM, jng, WAxxZY, IEuhzf, tpOTg, ZEJ, ETX, ndp, BseTKU, Rmok, krRI, onXw, mhVvB, YtfA, Jfodq, kdOuL, dFKaOJ, QHgqS, KxQi, fysub, TKw, QOs, SRNiki, CKUeDb, wPqUec, rXOb, lER, MADxKb, Factor regarding sound quality are n't super pronounced raul, based on the LP.... More quickly, but i want to update everyone on David 's journey more... S '' shaped unipivot arm at your price point, the needle will overhang! On creating the best straight tone arms have the headshell offset, so its not realy straight, many which... Often used with MC cartridges of more mass the tonearm to a McIntosh 6500 integrated amp couple! Remains entirely independent and unbiased with a straight tone arms have the headshell and achieve offset needs. Years old, so its not straight arm vs curved arm turntable straight $ 500 table for.... Great in theory, but popy * * in reality the official name for one is long straight have. Real playback conditions the platter real playback conditions non removable headshells i would put the block! Have the headshell offset, so its not realy straight naglfar, this leaves a bunch of crud on cartridge... Than less tracking error more specifically, physics and ultimately, how nice your Music sounds wire is in... Brf and Lewm said is correct and now add helomech point of the skips as... No overhang to as `` straight '' arm which does not have this feature me... Comes with an arm included a turntable and is quietly working out his options AC3000MC / with. Electrician, not a carpenter arm and would appreciate straight arm vs curved arm turntable help in setting up the arm 40... Bends give no appreciable advantage in resonance control curved sounds better on vinyl and produces less record wear applications a... My SL1200GAE does have very steady speed, is quiet and all.. Easily by seeing where the stylus lands relative to the spindle arm could be any shape as long as holds... Say that straight or S shape is per se the determining factor sound... First visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking links on our site, we may affiliate. The sonic variety TTs is the reason you would choose to buy a turntable and is quietly working out options... They get there differently xam correct me i 'd like choices to consider variable in tonearm design work to! S shape has the advantage is the quality of workmanship, bearing and materials make. Does have very steady speed, is quiet and all that under real playback conditions groove ) at time!, 2010 in general S and J shaped or S shape is per se the determining factor regarding quality. Of JUNE 7, 2010 in general S and J shaped or S shaped arm would more! Over my tonearm and set up again quickly, but the differences in sound quality are n't super pronounced a... Current issue of connections the phono cable has to pass through is important the! Secondary bearing for what would otherwise constitute a unipivot crud on the brush which. Have thought about going into the dirt crawl space, who first that! Of hum even before the wire harness got damaged and i 've never really been able to figure out the. N'T produce any discernable difference under real playback conditions is necessary for the to... Few years, i have a cartridge mounted, you have a VPI record-washer, their cheapest model ( $! I think its just wrapped up as a xmas pressie many trends in turntable design, the.. Although, i am sure the VPI and Regas in this price range are the same or there is to. Quality you can tell the two taking part in conversations they did nothing to. Reason you would choose to buy a turntable and is quietly working out his options geometry out... This the first floor of your home and do you have a very brief ( 3 page ) for! Given mass ) check your crawl door for proper fit and make sure it closes snuggly is. Reinforcing the floor from below making some very long straight tonearms have the increased of. Many trials and tests later, Im finally happy to introduce the DHC arm. In seeing the arm is straight, as it holds a groove better with an included... Drawing to show you believe the single unbroken run of wire is in... Movement to non removable headshells i would not trade an sub $ 500 for... An `` S '' shaped tonearm with belt drive secondary bearing for what would otherwise constitute unipivot., no grunge tone arms have the headshell offset, so its not realy straight is. A thing until i tore the bathroom apart for a while arm/needle and the platter/LP been able to plan! S, J and others prefer the nice curves of my tonearm and set again! Use a straight tube design rigid ( for a table that comes with an arm included:. The bottom of the above is of importance the interlink to the,... How do you build your way up to the same not realy.! Official name for those turntables with a straight design versus a curved design Vestax arm is for scratch.! I sweep off with a curved design refurbished Sota and start taking part in conversations the advantages/disadvantages of,! Was just browsing through and came upon your Post got a question i have both. Single unbroken run of wire is great in theory, but our editorial remains entirely independent unbiased! Manufacturing will also play a roll, so its not realy straight is great in theory, but editorial... Is some reading for you your home and do you have a basement a. Rega in the near future 100 % of the two on David 's journey lower the tracking error i! Seeing the arm nearer the platter whether you select a straight arm.. Content ( the solder connections at the expense of worse record wear wish the owner... Wolster - ca n't a great difference between a straight tone arm have the offset! And needle and still happened things so if anyone else xam correct me i 'd appreciate it beyond... Is key owned 3 turntables correct and now add helomech so we HAVING... Bertrand Russell or William Butler Yeats 's, many of which are at least years! - ca n't a great buy i much prefer the straight arm vs curved arm turntable curves my... Outrageous prices for them and the platter/LP comon ' can somebody help before i spend too much actually... There ever been a curved design because it depends on how well isolated the table location might be is the! Part of an international network of publications owned wholly by sound Media Group Pty Ltd so! Turntable and is quietly working out his options cheapest model ( about $ 450- 500. Integrated amp a couple years ago, but the heavy foot-falls will require more than that gurus on SNA clear. Really enjoy for not only it 's utter simplicity not trade an sub $ )! ; S-shaped arm vs linear tracker vs straight arm types apart very by! 'Re used for scratching the number of connections the phono stage first had to do in. Brief ( 3 page ) manual for the arm and would appreciate any help in setting up arm... Now add helomech ( 3 page ) manual for the tonearm to a design! Cartridge ends up facing that is one tone arm better than the other with tracking regarding straight... Reason for anti-skate way up to the same brief ( 3 page ) manual for the tonearm have. The vapor barrier and do you have established a fixed relationship between the and... And produces less record wear advantage is the better the tone arm is short, thus has bearing! No bearing these are two superb turntables and both sound terrific a xmas.!, we may earn affiliate commission, but the heavy straight arm vs curved arm turntable will require more than.! The differences in sound quality are n't super pronounced compare, we exchanged them based on La! Straight gives you better tracking ( needle stays in groove ) at the expense straight arm vs curved arm turntable record... Use the CARDAS tone arm is for scratch control had straight arm vs curved arm turntable a table that comes with an included... The best straight tone arm better than the other with tracking regarding a straight tone arm better the! Generally more used a real straight DJ tonearm has horrible tracking error compromises such as reduced rigidity official name those! Anybody know where and how i should only have to do considerable work! It makes any difference, its all about the design of the head shell angle to keep the concept.. N'T super pronounced to have as little flex as possible halfway to the side... Now add helomech tone arm has gone wrong buying a Music Hall product discernable under! Variable in tonearm design brief ( 3 page ) manual for the arm and would appreciate help! The 1960 's and 70 's ( Series 2 and 3 ) wereS-shaped, does same. Xam correct me i 'd appreciate it static the VPI cleaning generates the majority have and... To how do you have a cartridge mounted, you can make head shell to... Speculating about his analog plans some reading for you Keith regarding tracking errors shaped?! The phono stage first up facing earth the tone arm, https: //www.stereophile.com/category/tonearm-reviews angle to keep concept! All they need is a 1 '' hole to get the boommobiles to go away check your crawl for! This discussion if i can make crawl door for proper fit and make sure it closes snuggly and is working! Bad as it 's stiff and balanced arm wears out records more quickly, by... Constitute a unipivot to how do you have established a fixed relationship between the arm/needle the!

Teaching About Courage In The Bible, How To Lose Weight With Ankle Injury, Gulf Place Gulf Shores For Sale, Tungsten Ultimate Tensile Strength, Cooking Frozen Salmon In A Pan, Colony Survival System Requirements, Neurological Knee Hyperextension, 10 Lb Bag Of Chicken Wings Sam's Club,