clearthink, As an example, and as a recovered watch addict, people don’t justify expensive watches based on their time-keeping accuracy (rational), and the differences between different high-quality products can be described as minor. While the features of luxury products can be objective, they may not be practical or necessary, and it often comes down to the subjective outside of what is needed beyond food, clothing, and shelter stability. I can identify all sorts of objective improvements in performance and quality of my Bergmann turntable, but to my wife and most people, they aren’t rational. I have it, and those improvements matter because I want it.
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?
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?
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@2channel8, My experience is that a Basis Vector 3 substantially outperformed a Rega 600 tonearm. I have owned a MMT in the past, and it was about on par with a Rega. Maybe one of the greatest improvements I made to my system. Everything was better especially the imaging and image stability/specificity. I would not hesitate to upgrade my tonearm if I were you. Basis makes a great 9 inch tonearm. If you can find one used it can be a real bargain. |
sfischer1"as a recovered watch addict, people don’t justify expensive watches based on their time-keeping accuracy" Addiction to anything is a very sad thing and by definition those who are addicted to any thing at all are not rational in any way they are destroying they're lives and acting out of some painful unmet physical or emotional need but that does not prove "There is no rational basis for extraordinarily expensive anything." |
- 147 posts total