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Tonearms: Ripoff?

If you search for tonearm recommendations you'll find an overwhelming amount of praise for $1k and less products. Audiomods and Jelco are the two most mentioned.

The Audiomods is just some guy making Rega-based tonearms in a workshop. Just some guy is putting out tonearms that compete with tonearms that cost many times the price -- from the likes of SME, Clearaudio, VPI, Graham, etc.

So the question is -- are tonearms just a scam? How is it that everyone loves Audiomods and Jelco to death and never talks about / dismisses high end tonearms? Is it because there's no real difference between one of these low-cost tonearms and the high end ones? Is an Audiomods Series V ** really ** the equivalent of a SME V? Some guy in a workshop equals the famed precision of SME? Is that once you have the math and materials worked out all tonearms are essentially the same? Or is it that most owners of record players online are dumpster-diving for vintage gear and simply can't afford to listen to better?

So, what's going on?
madavid0

Showing 1 response by 2channel8

2channel8
634 posts
 
I clicked on this thread because I have a Sumiko MMT made by Jelco on my Oracle Alexandria and have been dreaming of an upgrade that will work within the specs imposed by my turntable. I was hoping for some informed, experience- based options. I hadn't noticed that the OP may not be. Why couldn't we all just have taken the high road and had that discussion? Without name calling? Just share data? Thank you to those of you who did take the topic seriously.

I am disappointed to say that so far, my conclusions have not changed; that is it will take a lot of money to get to a significantly better performance point and with my limited ability to hear very subtle differences; I'd probably end up with buyer's remorse. If anyone has any good suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. That's my problem: I can't leave well enough alone. ;^)
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