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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
jperry
1,408 posts
 
@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.
clearthink
672 posts
 

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."
chrisoshea
116 posts
 
There's a debate about CDs vs vinyl???     
noromance's avatar
noromance
1,780 posts
 
@2channel8. The Jelco 850/950 is a significant upgrade over the Sumiko for little money. See my post about it.
vair68robert's avatar
vair68robert
102 posts
 
madavidO

No they are not .  
Now lets use equipment prices as examples ,
an amp can cost $2,000 or $200,000  a 100x increase .
speakers can be the same 100x increase 
but a $1,000 tonearm or the top of the line Graham Engineering 
for $15,000 is only a 15x increase , So NO they are not a rip off 
in relative terms .

You didn't even bring up size or arm changeability .




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