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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
orpheus10
5,988 posts
 

All the reviews like Rega tonearms, they also like Rega TT's; so if you want to listen to music, as opposed to playing with audio toys, that are very easy to mess up, why not use the arm that comes with the table; for example, Basis likes Vector; they must be a match.

dbxdx5
33 posts
 
I never post, just lurk. Multiple people have noted that this is a troll thread, and yet folks keep banging their heads against the wall trying to win an unwinnable argument with the OP. I dare you all to stop posting in this thread. Betcha can't do it.
boxer12
1,703 posts
 
Nope, I can't. I'm just glad no one has stated that they all sound the same. 
slaw's avatar
slaw
5,785 posts
 
When are the Moderators going to ban the Op from posting for 1 Year!
daveyf's avatar
daveyf
1,174 posts
 
Same old positions as usual on this thread, as on the thread I started about the cartridge nightmare. Plenty of people who don’t like the questions and positions posed by the OP ( for whatever biased reasons that they have)- and so they resort to the old retort..you’re a ’troll’. That is so old and weak!

Are tonearms a rip off...yes they are IF they are doing nothing special for the sound, are poorly designed and made, and they are being sold at a huge inflated price. OTOH, IME,most decently designed tonearms are actually either more resolving than what they replace, or more capable in one way or another...bass control, high frequency air and ability to control the cartridge tracking. Unlike cartridges and my OP on the nightmare cartridge thread, I think the opportunity and likelihood of at least hearing a tonearm under consideration is much greater. Leading to a more defined, and in all likelihood, acceptable result once acquired., IMHO.
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