Linear tracking turntables, whatever happened?


Curious as to the demise and downfall of the seemingly short lived linear tracking TT.
Just from a geometry point of view I would have thought a linear arm should be superior to one with a fixed pivot that sweeps through an arc.
Obviously there is much more to it than that, sort of the reason for this thread.
I am genuinely interested in trying one out for myself as well.
128x128Ag insider logo xs@2xuberwaltz
I have: Rabco (TT and arm), Beogram, Saul Marantz, Revox and Diatone (Mitsubishi). I still think a pivoted arm is better (simpler and easier to set up).
Good morning Lew,
Back to the business. Upsetting is your word not mine. Nothing upsets me after 40+ yrs in Hi-Fi, only prejudice and ignorance makes me laugh really. I never mentioned frictionless either on functionality of LT TAs. There´s a hell of lot friction in both sides of stylus when playing a record, that friction generates the sound. 
I repeat: no extra force nor resistance is needed to hold the stylus in the groove so with AB TAs servos are voodoo. The groove does the jog. Dot.

If you have heard a LT TA before why not say it right away. Your first writing gives the impression of the opposite. Too much confusion.
Very well then... Excellent you are considering buying a Trans-Fi arm but it has taken already five-six years you first said that. Life´s short man. Why dontcha buy one right now ? I know you are a man of reason, due to your great gear as seen online.
It´s audio´s most ridiculous bargain. It will fix your Lenco just perfectly (don´t take my word, there´s plenty evidence of Trans-Fi/Lencos online). And in the unlike case you don´t like it for whatever reason you can sell it very easily in used markets. One stayed less than a day on AOS market a few days back. 
I have never had issues with Terminator, only my clumsiness and goofing around in the beginning as a novice  : ). Funny thing, to my great delight I found a linear tracker is easier to adjust properly than pivot arms which are the real PITA in practice, not to mention that ever annoying anti-skate which is practically never right not to mention perfect, and even so it´s always just so darn futile : /
Adjusting Terminator PERFECTLY takes LOTS of time. But once you have taken the sweaty task to make it work, the job´s done. Just sit back and enjoy life.
The only "drawback" I´ve had: the low-pressure Sera Aquarium pump broke after exactly ten years´ almost daily service just recently. Vic send me new for 25 pounds.

Good luck and have fun : )
dwette
Clearaudio has several linear arms starting at the ~$4K range. I had thought about getting the TT-5 for my Ovation (to replace the Magnify arm) but opted for their top of the line tangential arm instead, the Universal.
The Universal looks like a fairly conventional pivoted arm. What mechanism does it have that makes it tangential?
Post removed