SAT 30K+$$ TONEARM: W O R T H T O H A V E I T ?


http://www.swedishat.com/

That is the everywhere touted and very expensive tonearm. Touted by all professional reviewers and obviously " satisfied " owners ( around 70 of them. ).

Here some reviews:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/swedish-analog-technologies-tonearm

http://www.monoandstereo.com/2014/06/sat-swedish-analog-technologies-tonearm.html

http://www.absolutesounds.com/pdf/main/press/AirForce%20III_SAT_HiFi+_0817.pdf

and you can look elsewhere the TAS one and others.

Obviously that the proudly owners started to buy the tonearm because those reviews and trhough audio shows but mainly for the " great " reviews.

It was ranked class A in Stereophile and I know are coming two new models that inludes a 12" tonearm.

Other than the very high price I never was interested on the tonearm design due that is totally out of my budget. Its price cost what a decent whole audio system cost.

Anyway, a few months ago in an other analog forum and through a TT review the SAT appeared in that discussion thread and was here when I decided to analize this regarded tonearm design where I found out that those 30K+ dollars are a true money lost and does not matters of what reviewers and owners think about where there are not clear facts all of them are extremely satisfied with the SAT.



Let me explain a little why I said that through my post to MF:


"""""""

from your Stereophile review the SAT specs are as follows: P2S: 212.2mm, overhang: 22.8mm, offset angle 26.10° with an effective length: 235mm.


Those numbers tell us that you are listening ( with any cartridge. ) way higher distortion levels, that you just do not detected even today, against almost any other tonearm/cartridge combination.


Obviously that the SAT needs a dedicated protractor to make the cartridge/tonearm set up but we have to analize what those specs/numbers has to say:

the SAT maximum traking error is a really high: 3.09° when in a normal ( Jelco or Ortofon. ) 235m Effective Length tonearm Löfgren A alignment ( IEC standard. ) is only: 1.84°

the SAT maximum distortion % level is: 2.67 when in that normal tonearm only 0.633

the SAT average RMS % distortion is: 0.616 when in normal tonearm only :
0.412 ( Löfgren B even lower: 0.37 ).

All those makes that the linnear offset in the SAT be 10mm longer than in a normal tonearm ! !

All those are facts and you or Mr. Gomez can’t do nothing to change it. Pure mathematics reality.

You posted in that review: """ Marc Gomez has chosen null points of 80 and 126mm instead of the more commonly used 66 and 121mm. """

that’s a deep misunderstood on tonearm/cartridge alignment input/output calulations in the overall equations used for that alignment:

NULL POINTS WERE NOT CHOOSED BY MR. GOMEZ BUT ARE PART OF THE OUTPUT DATA ON THOSE ALIGNMENTS CALCULATIONS.

In the same is not true your statement: """ the more commonly used 66 and 121mm. """

that " commonly " just does not exist and only depends of the standard choosed for the calculations.

There are several other things in that SAT design that not only are not orthodox but that has a negative influence in what we are listening it:

he said that the tonearm owner can change the bearing friction levels and this characteristics could tell to you that’s a " good thing " but it’s not but all the way the opposite because makes not a fully 100% steady bearings.

Ask you a question?: why the best top cartridges use cantilevers of boron and not carbon fiber, it does not matters that laminated carbon fiber the SAT has.

Carbon fiber is way resonant no matter what. In the past existed cartridges with CF cantilever and sounds inferior to the boron ones. ....................................................................................................................................................................... the designer was and is proud that the tonearm self resonance happens at around 2.8khz, go figure ! ! !. It happens way inside the human been frequency range instead to stays out of that frequency range. """"



Dear friends and owners of the SAT: way before the mounted cartridge on it hits the very first LP groove and against any other vintage or today tonearm you have way higher distortions that per sé preclude you can listen a real and true top quality level performance and does not matters the audio system you own.


What we can listen through the SAT is an inferior quality performance levels with higher distortions. Obviously that all reviewers and owners like those heavy distortions but that does not means they are rigth because and with all respect all of them are wrong.


Some one send the link of what I posted to the SAT designer and latter on ( I do not knew he read my post. ) I ask for him for the information about the effective mass of the SAT. He gave me a " rude " answer and did not disclose that information that in reallity was not important in that moment.



I have to say that at least two professional reviewers bougth the SAT tonearm., both with the Continnum/Cobra TT/tonearm. At least one of them say the SAT outperforms the Cobra one ( maybe both, who knows why bougth it the other reviewer. )

The credentials of the SAT designer are impecable and really impressive ones but no single of those credentials speaks about audio and certainly not on analog audio.

He is a true " roockie " enthusiast ( and I say it with respect.) and obviously that is welcomed in the high-end " arena/area/ring " where all of us are learning at each single day. Any one that’s marketing an audio item has a true merit and this is not under discussion: SAT designer has his own merit for that.

You that are reading this thread permit me to ask: what do you think, overall, about?, at the end audiophiles are the ones that has the last " word " or should be that way.


Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,

R.






Ag insider logo xs@2xrauliruegas
These prices are simply outrageous.  I can get better sound for less money by hiring pro's to play in my house...and put the left over money in Fidelity.
With 25,000+ LPs, the cost of playing them in high fidelity is going to cost $1000s.  How many $1000s depends on the fidelity quality.  When I was a teenager, it was about $500.  In my 20s it was about $1500, In my 30's it went up to $4000 (VPI 19-IV and SME IV).  At 50, I paid for a VPI TNT VI upgraded, kept the SME on it and added the Townsend sink and Benz Ruby 3 at a cost of $10K.  So, with the SME, my cost today about as much as a high end tonearm.  Now at 62, I'm looking forward to a Thales or Kronos setup.
@fleschler,

I recognize your timeline. It's unfortunate that while one's monetary abilities usually increase with age, one's hearing abilities decrease without mercy.

At 58 I'm still able to detect the sonic differences between one cartridge and the next, but I'm aware this is deteriorating fast and will only continue to do so. There's just no turning back, unless medical science comes up with some nifty 'hearing upgrades'. Sometimes I wish I could 'borrow' my 50 years younger ears and hear what my current system actually sounds like. 

We shouldn't take all this too seriously. A well-heeled pensionado sitting in front of his $500k audio rig (an easily reached sum these days) is a bit like that 'distinguished looking gentleman with snowwhite hair' sitting behind the wheel of a 'screaming yellow' Lamborghini. While both situations can offer much enjoyment (provided you're still able to get inside the vehicle), it does look a bit silly......



For audio fools only. I know it´s not the best TA produced, not even close. For that money I can buy another truly superb High Fidelity stereo system and lots of great vintage albums, in great condition too. 
Each his own about "the best"
See it from a different point of view... when someone would be able to make the real best tonearm AND sales price would be 3K...do you really think it would get the merits from all audiophiles????
Forget it.
Some want to spend big money...how much is not important
One man’s ceiling is another man’s floor.
You won’t find much wealthy audiophiles who really do sonic comparisons.
Of course, most do a kind of comparison but it is more or less the sonic flavor of the month because they do not understand what they hear and why there are differences. It is game money. A toy store for adults.

Of course there are some better designs out there for whatever price but you’ll also find way more sonic inferior/average products for high prices.

Important are only 2 details:
He has it and you don’t
and
He got it for a good price

Forget the sentence "I love music"....I did listen to countless expensive Systems which sound so horrible, it has nothing to do with High End reproduction. Real music does not serve ear cancer ...